sign in sign up
<<
Home , Ben Carson, Betsy DeVos, Linda McMahon, Mick Mulvaney, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo

President Elect | Vice President Elect

The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments.

(Updated 12/19/16)

The Cabinet

Department of State * Department of the Treasury * Department of Defense Gen. James Mattis (Ret.)* Department of Justice Sen. (R-AL)* Department of the Interior Rep. (R-MT)* Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce * Department of Labor Andrew Puzder* Department of Health and Human Services Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)* Department of Housing and Urban Development Dr. * Department of Transportation * Department of Energy (R-TX)* Department of Education Betsy DeVos* Department of Veterans Affairs Department of Homeland Security Gen. John F. Kelly*

Cabinet-Rank Positions

White House Chief of Staff Environmental Protection Agency Attorney General (R-OK)* Office of Management & Budget Rep. (R-SC)* Trade Representative United States Mission to the United Nations Gov. (R-SC)* Council of Economic Advisers Small Business Administration Linda McMahon*

Sub-Cabinet Positions

Central Intelligence Agency Director Rep. (R-KS)* FEMA Director Director of National Intelligence Director Federal Housing Administrator Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director NOAA Administrator Transportation Security Administrator

Bureau of Land Management Director National Park Service Director & Services Administrator * Customs and Border Protection Commissioner National Institutes of Health Director Food and Drugs Commissioner Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director

* Pending Senate Confirmation

Short Biographies of Nominees

Rex Tillerson – Nominee for

Born March 23, 1952 is an American Engineer - businessman and is the chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, the fifth largest company by market capitalization. Tillerson was also the 33rd President of the from 2010-2012.

Steven Mnuchin – Nominee for Secretary of the Treasury

Born December 21, 1962 is an American banker, film producer, and political fundraiser. He is a former partner for for 17 years where he accrued a net worth estimated at about $40 million. He then founded the motion picture firm, RatPac-Dune Entertainment. In 2016, he served as finance chair in the Donald J. Trump presidential campaign.

Gen. James Mattis (Ret.) – Nominee for Secretary of Defense

Born September 8, 1950, is a retired United States Marine Corps general who last served as the 11th commander of United States Central Command from August 11, 2010 to March 22, 2013. Before President Obama appointed him to replace General Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he previously commanded United States Joint Forces Command from November 9, 2007 to August 2010 and served concurrently as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from November 9, 2007 to September 8, 2009. Prior to that, he commanded I Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Forces Central Command, and 1st Marine Division during the War. Mattis will need special permission from Congress to serve

Jeff Sessions – Nominee for Attorney General

A Senator from ; born in Hybart, Ala., December 24, 1946; attended public schools; graduated from Huntingdon College, Montgomery 1969; graduated from University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa 1973; admitted to the Alabama bar in 1973, and engaged in the practice of law in Russellville 1973-1975; served in the U.S. Army reserves, attaining the rank of captain 1973-1977; practiced law in Mobile 1977-1981; United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama 1981-1993; Alabama Attorney General 1994-1996; elected as a Republican to the in 1996; reelected in 2002, 2008, and again in 2014 for the term ending January 3, 2021.

Ryan Zinke – Nominee for Secretary of the Interior

Born November 1, 1961 is an American politician serving as U.S. Representative for 's at-large congressional district. A Republican, he previously served as a member of the , representing Senate District 2 from 2009 to 2011. Zinke was a football player at the where he studied geology. He also has an MBA and MS. He was a Navy SEAL from 1986 until 2008.

Wilbur Ross – Nominee for Secretary of Commerce

Born November 28, 1937 is an American investor, and former banker, known for restructuring failed companies in industries such as steel, , , foreign investment and textiles. He specializes in leveraged buyouts and distressed businesses. As of August 2014, Forbes magazine lists Ross as one of 's billionaires with a net worth of $2.9 billion.

Andrew Puzder – Nominee for Secretary of Labor

Born July 11, 1950 is the chief executive of CKE Restaurants (Carl’s Jr / Hardee’s). He received his juris doctorate in 1978 from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis where he served as senior editor on the Law Review. From 1978 through 1991, Puzder was a commercial trial lawyer in St. Louis. From 1978 through 1983, he was an associate at the law offices of St. Louis attorney Morris Shenker who he represented in various matters. In 1984 he moved to The Stolar Partnership in St. Louis and worked with Charles A Seigel, another St. Louis area trial attorney. Puzder has served as president and CEO of CKE since September 2000.

Tom Price – Nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services

A Representative from Georgia; born in Lansing, Ingham County, Mich., October 8, 1954; graduated from Dearborn High School, Dearborn, Mich., 1972; A.B., University of , Ann Arbor, Mich., 1976; M.D., , Ann Arbor, Mich., 1979; physician; member of the Georgia state senate, 1997-2004; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Ninth and to the five succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2005-present); chair, Committee on Budget (One Hundred Fourteenth Congress).

Dr. Ben Carson – Nominee for Secretary of Housing & Urban Development

Born September 18, 1951, is a retired American surgeon. Born in , Michigan, and a graduate of and the University of Michigan Medical School, Carson has authored numerous books on his medical career and political stances, and was the subject of a television drama film in 2009. Carson ran for the 2016 Republican Nomination, but dropped out and later endorsed Donald Trump.

Elaine Chao – Nominee for Secretary of Transportation

Born March 26, 1953 is an American politician who served as the 24th U.S. Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, and Deputy Secretary of Transportation under President George H. W. Bush. Born in Taiwan to mainland Chinese parents, she was the first Asian American woman and the first Taiwanese American in U.S. history to be appointed to a U.S. president's cabinet. She is married to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Rick Perry – Nominee for Secretary of Energy

Born , 1950 is an American politician who was 47th of from December 2000 to January 2015. A Republican, he was elected Lieutenant in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become president. Perry is the longest-serving governor in Texas history. Perry ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for president in 2012 and 2016.

Betsy DeVos – Nominee for Secretary of Education

Born , 1958 is an American billionaire, businesswoman, philanthropist, and education activist from Michigan. DeVos is known for her advocacy of and voucher programs.

Gen. John F. Kelly – Nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security

Born May 11, 1950, is a United States Marine Corps general and the former commander of United States Southern Command. Kelly previously served as the commanding general of the Multi-National Force— West in Iraq from February 2008 to February 2009, and as the commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North in October 2009.

Reince Priebus – Chief of Staff

Born March 18, 1972 is an American attorney and politician who is Chairman of the Republican National Committee. He has previously served as RNC general counsel, and is the former chairman of the Republican Party of , where he is credited with helping to bring nationally known figures such as , Speaker of the House, and Scott Walker, , into power on the state level and prominence on the national stage.

Scott Pruitt – Nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

Born May 9, 1968, is a United States lawyer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of . He is the current Oklahoma Attorney General. Pruitt was a State Senator, representing Tulsa and Wagoner counties from 1998 until 2006.

Mick Mulvaney – Nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Born July 21, 1967 is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for 's 5th congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. Mulvaney previously served as a member of the , representing the 16th district (Lancaster and York Counties), from 2009 to 2011. He is the first Republican to represent South Carolina's 5th district since 1883.

Nikki Haley – Nominee for Ambassador to the United Nations

Haley was first elected in 2004 to the South Carolina state House to represent the 87th District (Lexington County). Born in Bamberg, the daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley’s first job was keeping the books for her family’s clothing store – at the age of 13. She went on to graduate from Clemson

University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Haley was sworn in as governor of South Carolina on January 12, 2011, and was sworn in for her second term on January 14, 2015.

Linda McMahon – Nominee for Administrator of the Small Business Administration

Born October 4, 1948, is an American magnate and a former Republican Party candidate. She is notable for her career developing WWE with her husband Vince McMahon. McMahon was active with WWE (WWF until 2002) from 1980 to 2009. She left WWE in 2009 to run unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States Senate from , losing to Democratic Party nominee in the general election of 2010. McMahon was the 2012 Republican nominee for Connecticut's other Senate seat to replace retiring Senator in the general election in November 2012, but lost again, this time to Democratic Representative .

Mike Pompeo – Nominee for CIA Director

A Representative from ; born in Orange, Orange County, Calif., December 30, 1963; B.S., United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., 1986; J.D., , Cambridge, Mass., 1994; , 1986-1991; business executive; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Twelfth and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2011-present).

Seema Verma – Nominee for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator

Seema Verma is the President, CEO and founder of SVC, Inc., a national health policy consulting company. Verma has worked extensively on a variety of policy and strategic projects involving Medicaid, insurance, and , working with Governor's offices, State Medicaid agencies, State Health Departments, State Departments of Insurance, as well as the federal government, private companies and foundations. Seema Verma received her Master’s degree in Public Health with concentration in health policy and management from and her Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences from the University of .