The United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs heads the Department of Veterans Affairs, a government-level agency that provides benefits to veterans and their families. The agency’s spelling of “veterans” started out inconsistent, with some including an apostrophe, but it was ultimately removed for convenience. The Secretary is a member of the presidential cabinet and proposes policy decisions that could benefit veterans. The VA offers benefits such as health care, housing assistance, scholarships, death benefits, and job retraining for veterans. The Secretary is usually a member of the military and is assisted by under secretaries who head various sections within the VA.
The United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs heads the Department of Veterans Affairs, the largest federal agency in the United States after the Department of Defense. If you’re curious about the missing apostrophe in “veterans,” you might want to know that this agency’s spelling started out inconsistent, with some people including the apostrophe and others leaving it out. Ultimately, the decision was made to remove the apostrophe for convenience, even though this is technically grammatically incorrect.
President George Bush Sr. established the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1989, designating it a government-level agency. Accordingly, the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs is a member of the presidential cabinet, nominated by the president and subject to confirmation hearings in the United States Senate. The US Secretary of Veterans Affairs is also in the presidential line of succession, in the second to last position, with non-natural citizens and sitting secretaries barred from succession.
As a member of the Presidential Cabinet, the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs discusses veterans-related issues with the president and proposes policy decisions that could benefit veterans. While the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs need not be a member of the military, he usually is and by convention, the Secretary resigns when a new presidential administration takes office, allowing the President to select a new Secretary. The US Secretary of Veterans Affairs also meets with representatives from other agencies such as the Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense to discuss situations of mutual concern, such as advances in medical technology that could benefit wounded veterans.
The secretary is assisted by under secretaries who head the various sections within the Department of Veterans Affairs, also known as the Veterans Administration or VA. These departments deal with things like veterans health care, housing assistance, scholarships, death benefits, and job retraining for veterans. The VA establishes an assortment of mandates and policies that affect the benefits offered to veterans and their families.
As you might imagine, the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs is often extremely busy during wartime. However, even when the country isn’t at war, large numbers of veterans and their families are eligible for VA benefits, keeping the agency busy with long-term care and support. The VA’s extensive network of hospitals and other facilities offer some of the most cutting-edge medical care in the world, along with excellent medical research opportunities.
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