The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established on March 15, 1989, succeeding the Veterans Administration. It is responsible for providing federal benefits to veterans and their dependents.
Headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA is the second largest of the 15 Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits.
|
Term of Service
|
Secretary | Home State | Administration |
|
1989 - 1993
|
Edward J. Derwinski | Illinois | G.H.W. Bush |
|
1993 - 1998
|
Jesse Brown | Illinois | Bill Clinton |
|
1998 - 2001
|
Togo D. West Jr. | Washington, D.C. | Clinton |
|
2001 - 2005
|
Anthony J. Principi | California | G.W. Bush |
2005 - 2007
|
Jim Nicholson | Colorado | G.W. Bush |
2009
|
James Peake | Washington, D.C. | G.W. Bush |
2009 - 2014
|
Eric Shinseki | Hawaii | Obama |
2014 - 2017
|
Bob McDonald | Ohio | Obama |
2017 - 2018
|
David Shulkin | Pennsylvania | Trump |
2018 - 2021
|
Robert Wilkie | North Carolina | Trump |
2021 - present
|
Denis McDonough | Minnesota | Biden |
| See cabinet officers sorted by administration. |