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The United States Cabinet (usually simplified as "the Cabinet") is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government Of The United States , and its existence dates back to the first American President ( George Washington ), who appointed a Cabinet of four people ( Secretary Of State , Thomas Jefferson ; Secretary Of The Treasury , Alexander Hamilton ; Secretary Of War , Henry Knox ; and Attorney General , Edmund Randolph ) to advise and assist him in his duties. Cabinet officers are nominated by the President and then presented to the United States Senate for Confirmation Or Rejection by a simple majority. If approved, they are Sworn In , receive the title "Secretary," (except the Attorney General) and begin their duties. CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL BASIS Constitutional references Article Two Of The Constitution provides that the President can require "the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices." The Constitution did not then establish the names (or list or limit the number) of Cabinet departments; those details were left to the Congress to determine. Later, upon addition of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, a provision was created allowing that the Vice President and "a majority of the principal officers" of the executive branch departments may transmit a notice (to the Speaker Of The House and the Senate President Pro Tempore ) that the President is unfit for office. If the President contests this finding, the Congress is directed to settle the matter. The Cabinet in federal law There is no explicit definition of the term "Cabinet" in either the United States Code or the Code Of Federal Regulations . However, there are occasional references to "cabinet-level officers" or "secretaries", which when viewed in context appear to refer to the heads of the "executive departments" as listed in . Article 5, Section 3110 of the United States Code , however, does prohibit federal officials from appointing family members to certain governmental posts, including seats on the Cabinet. Passed in 1967, the law is apparently a response to John F. Kennedy 's appointment of Robert F. Kennedy to the post of Attorney General of the United States. SIGNIFICANCE Recent decline in influence Though the Cabinet is still an important organ of bureaucratic management, in recent years, the Cabinet has generally declined in relevance as a policy making body. Starting with President Franklin Roosevelt , the trend has been for Presidents to act through the Executive Office Of The President or the National Security Council rather than through the Cabinet. This has created a situation in which non-Cabinet officials such as the White House Chief Of Staff , the Director Of The Office Of Management And Budget , and the National Security Advisor have power as large as or larger than some Cabinet officials. Traditionally, the most powerful and relevant Cabinet members are the Secretary Of State , the Secretary Of The Treasury , the Secretary Of Defense , and the Attorney General . In recent years, the Secretary Of Homeland Security has risen to a level of significance that is arguably closer to the "big four" than to the other cabinet offices. During a meeting of the President's Cabinet, members are seated according to the Order Of Precedence , with higher ranking officers sitting closer to the center ot the table. Hence, the President and Vice President sit directly across from each other at the middle of the oval shaped table. Then, the Secretaries of State and Defense are seated directly to the right and left, respectively, of the President and the Secretary of Treasury and the Attorney General sit to right and left, respectively, of the Vice President. This alternation according to rank continues, with Cabinet-rank members (those not heading executive departments; the Vice President excluded) sitting at the very ends, furthest away from the president and vice president. Line of succession The Cabinet is also important in the Presidential Line Of Succession , which determines an order in which Cabinet officers succeed to the office of the president following the death or resignation of the Vice President , Speaker Of The House and the President Pro Tempore Of The Senate . Because of this, it is common practice not to have the entire Cabinet in one location, even for ceremonial occasions like the State Of The Union Address , where at least one Cabinet member does not attend. This person is the Designated Survivor , and they are held at a secure, undisclosed location, ready to take over if the President, Vice President, and the rest of the Cabinet are killed. CURRENT CABINET † On 27 August 2007 , Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced his resignation, effective 17 September 2007 . Barring unforseen circumstances, he will continue to serve as Attorney General and remain a member of the Cabinet until 17 September. † On 17 July 2007 , Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson announced he has tendered his resignation to President George W. Bush and will leave his post no later than 1 October 2007 . Cabinet-level administration offices Six positions have cabinet-level rank, which allows these individuals to attend Cabinet meetings without being Secretaries of Executive Departments. They are: Level I of the Executive Schedule Level I of the Executive Schedule is the pay grade for cabinet officials. In addition to the fifteen cabinet secretaries, seven positions are listed in the Level I, of which only four (Administrator of the EPA, Director of the OMB, Director of the National Drug Control Policy, and the U.S. Trade Representative) are in the cabinet. The remaining three are: FORMER CABINET POSITIONS
PROPOSED CABINET DEPARTMENTS
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