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The Cabinet

President Obama leads a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet room

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.

Read the Cabinet Exit Memos here.

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 — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.

In order of succession to the Presidency:

Vice President of the United States
Joseph R. Biden

Department of State
Secretary John Kerry
state.gov

Department of the Treasury
Secretary Jack Lew
treasury.gov

Department of Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter
defense.gov

Department of Justice
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch
usdoj.gov

Department of the Interior
Secretary Sally Jewell
doi.gov
 
Department of Agriculture
Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack
usda.gov
 
Department of Commerce
Secretary Penny Pritzker
commerce.gov

Department of Labor
Secretary Thomas E. Perez
dol.gov

Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell
hhs.gov
 
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Julián Castro
hud.gov
 
Department of Transportation
Secretary Anthony Foxx
dot.gov
 
Department of Energy
Secretary Ernest Moniz
energy.gov
 
Department of Education
Secretary John King
ed.gov
 
Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Robert McDonald
va.gov
 
Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Jeh Johnson
dhs.gov

The following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:
 
White House Chief of Staff
Denis McDonough

Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator Gina McCarthy
epa.gov

Office of Management & Budget
Director Shaun L.S. Donovan
whitehouse.gov/omb

United States Trade Representative
Ambassador Michael Froman
ustr.gov

United States Mission to the United Nations
Ambassador Samantha Power
usun.state.gov

Council of Economic Advisers
Chairman Jason Furman
whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea
 
Small Business Administration
Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet
sba.gov