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United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

Government position

United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

Government position

FieldValue
postUnited States Secretary
bodyHealth and Human Services
flagFlag of the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.svg
flagborderyes
flagsize130
flagcaptionFlag of the secretary
insigniaUS Department of Health and Human Services seal.svg
insigniasize120
insigniacaptionSeal of the Department of Health and Human Services
imageRobert F. Kennedy Jr., official portrait (2025) (cropped 3-4).jpg
incumbentRobert F. Kennedy Jr.
incumbentsinceFebruary 13, 2025
actingn
departmentUnited States Department of Health and Human Services
styleMr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
member_ofCabinet
reports_toPresident of the United States
seatHubert H. Humphrey Building, Washington, D.C.
appointerThe president
appointer_qualifiedwith Senate advice and consent
termlengthNo fixed term
constituting_instrumentReorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953
formation
firstOveta Culp Hobby
successionTwelfth
deputyDeputy Secretary
salaryExecutive Schedule, Level I
website

The Honorable (formal)

The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on health matters. The secretary is a member of the United States Cabinet. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the incumbent secretary of health and human services, having held the position since February 13, 2025.

The office was formerly known as the secretary of health, education, and welfare. In 1980, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed to Department of Health and Human Services, and its education functions and Rehabilitation Services Administration were transferred to the new United States Department of Education. Patricia Roberts Harris headed the department before and after it was renamed.

Nominations to the office are referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the United States Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, before confirmation is considered by the full United States Senate. The secretary of health and human services is a level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$250,600, as of January 2025.

Duties

The flag of the secretary of health, education, and welfare, the predecessor to the current office

The duties of the secretary revolve around human conditions and concerns in the United States. This includes advising the president on matters of health, welfare, and income security programs. The secretary strives to administer the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out approved programs and make the public aware of the objectives of the department.

The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was reorganized into a Department of Education and a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees 11 agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

List of secretaries

; Parties (9) (15) (2)

Status

Health, Education, and Welfare

No.PortraitNameState of residenceTook officeLeft officePresident(s)Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Independent (politician)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Hobby-Oveta-Culp.jpg75px]]TexasApril 11, 1953July 31, 1955Republican Party (United States)}};"
(1953–1961)
[[File:Folsom.jpg75px]]New YorkAugust 2, 1955July 31, 1958
[[File:ArthurSFlemming.jpg75px]]OhioAugust 1, 1958January 19, 1961
[[File:Ribicoff.jpg75px]]ConnecticutJanuary 21, 1961July 13, 1962Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(1961–1963)
[[File:Celebrez.jpg75px]]OhioJuly 31, 1962August 17, 1965
Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(1963–1969)
[[File:John W. Gardner, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.jpg75px]]CaliforniaAugust 18, 1965March 1, 1968
[[File:Wilburportrait.jpg75px]]MichiganMay 16, 1968January 20, 1969
[[File:Robert Finch, 1967.jpg75px]]CaliforniaJanuary 21, 1969June 23, 1970Republican Party (United States)}};"
(1969–1974)
[[File:ElliotLeeRichardson.jpg75px]]MassachusettsJune 24, 1970January 29, 1973
[[File:Caspar Weinberger official photo.jpg75px]]CaliforniaFebruary 12, 1973August 8, 1975
Republican Party (United States)}};"
(1974–1977)
[[File:F. David Mathews.jpg75px]]AlabamaAugust 8, 1975January 20, 1977
[[File:Swearing-in of Joseph Califano, Secretary of HEW - NARA - 173478 (cropped).tif75px]]District of ColumbiaJanuary 25, 1977August 3, 1979Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(1977–1981)
[[File:Patricia R. Harris official portrait.jpg75px]]District of ColumbiaAugust 3, 1979May 4, 1980

Health and Human Services

No.PortraitNameState of residenceTook officeLeft officePresident(s)Democratic Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Republican Party (United States)}};"Democratic Party (United States)}};"Independent}};"
[[File:Patricia R. Harris official portrait.jpg75px]]District of ColumbiaMay 4, 1980January 20, 1981Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(1977–1981)
[[File:Secretary Richard Schweiker.jpg75px]]PennsylvaniaJanuary 22, 1981February 3, 1983Republican Party (United States)}};"
(1981–1989)
[[File:Mmheckler.JPG75px]]MassachusettsMarch 10, 1983December 13, 1985
[[File:Otis R. Bowen.jpg75px]]IndianaDecember 13, 1985March 1, 1989
[[File:SullivanLouis.jpg75px]]GeorgiaMarch 1, 1989January 20, 1993
(1989–1993)
[[File:Shalala portrait.jpg75px]]WisconsinJanuary 22, 1993January 20, 2001Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(1993–2001)
[[File:Tommy Thompson 1.jpg75px]]WisconsinFebruary 2, 2001January 26, 2005Republican Party (United States)}};"
(2001–2009)
[[File:Mike Leavitt.jpg75px]]UtahJanuary 26, 2005January 20, 2009
[[File:JohnsonCharlesE.jpg75px]]UtahJanuary 20, 2009April 28, 2009Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(2009–2017)
[[File:Kathleen Sebelius official portrait (cropped).jpg75px]]KansasApril 28, 2009June 9, 2014
[[File:Sylvia Mathews Burwell official portrait (cropped).jpg75px]]West VirginiaJune 9, 2014January 20, 2017
[[File:Norris Cochran (cropped).jpg75px]]FloridaJanuary 20, 2017February 10, 2017Republican Party (United States)}};"
(2017–2021)
[[File:Tom Price official photo (cropped).jpgborder75px]]GeorgiaFebruary 10, 2017September 29, 2017
[[File:Don J. Wright official portrait (cropped).jpg75px]]VirginiaSeptember 29, 2017October 10, 2017
[[File:Eric D. Hargan official photo (cropped).jpg75px]]IllinoisOctober 10, 2017January 29, 2018
[[File:Alex Azar official portrait (cropped).jpgborder75px]]IndianaJanuary 29, 2018January 20, 2021
[[File:Norris Cochran (cropped).jpg75px]]FloridaJanuary 20, 2021March 19, 2021Democratic Party (United States)}};"
(2021–2025)
[[File:HHS Xavier Becerra (cropped).jpgborder75px]]CaliforniaMarch 19, 2021January 20, 2025
[[File:Dorothy-Fink.jpg75px]]PennsylvaniaJanuary 20, 2025February 13, 2025Republican Party (United States)}};"
(2025–present)
[[File:Robert F. Kennedy Jr., official portrait (2025) (cropped 3-4).jpgframeless100x100px]]{{sortnameRobert F.Kennedy Jr.Kennedy, Robert F. Jr.}}CaliforniaFebruary 13, 2025*Incumbent*

Line of succession

The line of succession for the secretary of health and human services is as follows:

  1. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.
  2. General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services
  3. Assistant Secretary for Administration
  4. Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
  5. Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  6. Commissioner of Food and Drugs
  7. Director of the National Institutes of Health
  8. Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
  9. Other assistant secretaries (following in the order they took the oath of office)
  10. Assistant Secretary for Health
  11. Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
  12. Assistant Secretary for Legislation
  13. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
  14. Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources
  15. Assistant Secretary for Aging
  16. Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  17. Director, Region 4 (Atlanta, Georgia)

References

References

  1. "3 U.S. Code § 19 - Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act".
  2. Seitz, Amanda. (February 13, 2025). "Vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is sworn in as Trump's health chief after a close Senate vote". Associated Press.
  3. Holbrook, M. Cay. (February 6, 2017). "Foundations of Education: History and theory of teaching children and youths with visual impairments". American Foundation for the Blind.
  4. "Patricia R. Harris (1977–1979)—Miller Center".
  5. "Jurisdiction {{!}} The United States Senate Committee on Finance".
  6. {{UnitedStatesCode. 5. 5312
  7. "Salary Table No. 2025-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)".
  8. (February 1, 2007). "The President's Cabinet". Ben's Guide.
  9. "HHS Agencies & Offices".
  10. Harris was Secretary on May 4, 1980, when the office changed names from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because the department merely changed names, she did not need to be confirmed again, and her term continued uninterrupted.
  11. (February 20, 2008). "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Health and Human Services". Federal Register.
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