Executive Office of the President of the United States

The Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP) comprises the offices and agencies<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> that support the work of the president at the center of the executive branch of the United States federal government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The office consists of several offices and agencies, such as the White House Office (the staff working closest with the president, including West Wing staff), the National Security Council, Homeland Security Council, Office of Management and Budget, Council of Economic Advisers, and others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Eisenhower Executive Office Building houses most staff.

The office is also referred to as a "permanent government", since many policy programs, and the people who are charged with implementing them, continue between presidential administrations.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>

The civil servants who work in the Executive Office of the President are regarded as nonpartisan and politically neutral, so they are capable of providing objective and impartial advice.<ref name=":0" />

With the increase in technological and global advancement, the size of the White House staff has increased to include an array of policy experts responsible with managing various federal governmental functions and policy areas. As of 2015, it included approximately 1,800 positions,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> most of which did not require confirmation from the U.S. Senate.

The office is overseen by the White House chief of staff. Since January 20, 2025, that position has been held by Susie Wiles, who was appointed by President Donald Trump.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

File:Exec bldg.JPG

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building at night

In 1937, the Brownlow Committee, which was a presidentially commissioned panel of political science and public administration experts, recommended sweeping changes to the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, including the creation of the Executive Office of the President. Based on these recommendations, President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 lobbied Congress to approve the Reorganization Act of 1939. The Act led to Reorganization Plan No. 1,<ref name="Plan1">Template:Cite news</ref> which created the office,<ref name="Mosher">Template:Cite book</ref> which reported directly to the president.

The office encompassed two subunits at its outset, the White House Office (WHO) and the Bureau of the Budget, the predecessor to today's Office of Management and Budget, which was created in 1921 and originally located in the Treasury Department. It absorbed most of the functions of the National Emergency Council.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Initially, the new staff system appeared more ambitious on paper than in practice; the increase in the size of the staff was quite modest at the start. However, it laid the groundwork for the large and organizationally complex White House staff that emerged during the presidencies of Roosevelt's successors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Roosevelt's efforts are also notable in contrast to those of his predecessors in office. During the 19th century, presidents had few staff resources. Thomas Jefferson had one messenger and one secretary at his disposal, both of whose salaries were paid by the president personally. It was not until 1857 that Congress appropriated money ($2,500) for the hiring of one clerk.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

By Ulysses S. Grant's presidency (1869–1877), the staff had grown to three.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> By 1900, the White House staff included one "secretary to the president" (then the title of the president's chief aide), two assistant secretaries, two executive clerks, a stenographer, and seven other office personnel. Under Warren G. Harding, there were thirty-one staff, although most were in clerical positions.

During Herbert Hoover's presidency, two additional secretaries to the president were added by Congress, one of whom Hoover designated as his press secretary.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> From 1933 to 1939, as he greatly expanded the scope of the federal government's policies and powers in response to the Great Depression, Roosevelt relied on his "brain trust" of top advisers, who were often appointed to vacant positions in agencies and departments, from which they drew their salaries since the White House lacked statutory or budgetary authority to create new staff positions.

After World War II, in particular, during the Eisenhower presidency, the staff was expanded and reorganized. Eisenhower, a former U.S. Army general, had been Supreme Allied Commander during the war and reorganized the Executive Office to suit his leadership style.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

As of 2009, the staff is much bigger. Estimates indicate some 3,000 to 4,000 persons serve in office staff positions with policy-making responsibilities, with a budget of $300 to $400 million (George W. Bush's budget request for Fiscal Year 2005 was for $341 million in support of 1,850 personnel).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Some observers have noted a problem of control for the president due to the increase in staff and departments, making coordination and cooperation between the various departments of the Executive Office more difficult.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref>

Organization

Template:Redirect The president had the power to reorganize the Executive Office due to the 1949 Reorganization Act which gave the president considerable discretion, until 1983 when it was renewed due to President Reagan's administration allegedly encountering "disloyalty and obstruction".<ref name=":1" />

The chief of staff is the head of the Executive Office and can therefore ultimately decide what the president needs to deal with personally and what can be dealt with by other staff.

Senior staff within the Executive Office of the President have the title Assistant to the President, second-level staff have the title Deputy Assistant to the President, and third-level staff have the title Special Assistant to the President.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The core White House staff appointments, and most Executive Office officials generally, are not required to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, although there are a handful of exceptions (e.g., the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, and the United States Trade Representative).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The information in the following table is current as of January 20, 2025. Only principal executives are listed; for subordinate officers, see individual office pages. Template:Anchor

Members of the Executive Office of the President of the United States

Agency	Principal executive	Incumbent
White House Office	Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff	Susie Wiles
National Security Council	Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs	Mike Waltz
Homeland Security CouncilTemplate:Efn	Assistant to the President for Homeland SecurityTemplate:Efn	Stephen Miller
Council of Economic Advisers	Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers	Stephen Miran
Council on Environmental Quality	Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality	Vacant, TBD
Executive Residence Staff and Operations	White House Chief Usher	Robert B. Downing
National Space Council	Executive Secretary of the National Space Council	Chirag Parikh<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
President's Intelligence Advisory Board	Chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board	Devin Nunes
Office of Administration	Director of the Office of Administration	Dave Noble<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Office of Management and Budget	Director of the Office of Management and Budget	Russell Vought
Office of National Drug Control Policy	Director of National Drug Control Policy	Vacant, TBD
Office of the National Cyber Director	National Cyber Director	Harry Coker
Office of Science and Technology Policy	Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy	Michael Kratsios<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Office of the United States Trade Representative	United States Trade Representative	Jamieson Greer
Office of the Vice President of the United States	Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President	Jacob Reses

White House offices

The White House Office (including its various offices listed below<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) is a sub-unit of the Executive Office of the President (office). The various agencies of the office are listed above. Template:Div col

• Office of the Chief of Staff
• Office of the National Security Advisor
• Domestic Policy Council
• National Economic Council
• Office of Cabinet Affairs
• Office of Digital Strategy
• White House Office of Communications
• Office of the First Lady
• Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
• Office of Legislative Affairs
• Office of Management and Administration
• Office of Political Affairs
• Office of Public Engagement
• Office of Presidential Personnel
• Office of Scheduling and Advance
• Office of the Staff Secretary
• Office of White House Counsel
• Oval Office Operations
• White House Fellows
• White House Military Office
• Department of Government Efficiency

Congress

Congress as well as the president has some control over the Executive Office of the President. Some of this authority stems from its appropriation powers given by the Constitution, such as the "power of the purse", which affects the Office of Management and Budget and the funding of the rest of federal departments and agencies. Congress also has the right to investigate the operation of the Executive Office, normally holding hearings bringing forward individual personnel to testify before a congressional committee.<ref name=":0" />

The Executive Office often helps with legislation by filling in specific points understood and written by experts, as Congressional legislation sometimes starts in broad terms.<ref name=":0" />

Budget history

This table specifies the budget of the Executive Office for the years 2008–2017, and the actual outlays for the years 1993–2007.

Year	Budget
2017	$714 million<ref name=FY2017budget/>
2016	$692 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015	$676 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014	$624 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013	$650 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012	$640 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011	$708 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010	$772 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009	$728 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2008	$682 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2007	$2956 million<ref name="auto">Template:Cite webTemplate:Clarify</ref>
2006	$5379 million<ref name="auto"/>
2005	$7686 million<ref name="auto"/>
2004	$3349 million<ref name="auto"/>
2003	$386 million<ref name="auto"/>
2002	$451 million<ref name="auto"/>
2001	$246 million<ref name="auto"/>
2000	$283 million<ref name="auto"/>
1999	$417 million<ref name="auto"/>
1998	$237 million<ref name="auto"/>
1997	$221 million<ref name="auto"/>
1996	$202 million<ref name="auto"/>
1995	$215 million<ref name="auto"/>
1994	$231 million<ref name="auto"/>
1993	$194 million<ref name="auto"/>

See also

• Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations
• Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations
• White House Records Office

External links

• Executive Office of the President
• The Debate Over Selected Presidential Assistants and Advisors: Appointment, Accountability, and Congressional Oversight Congressional Research Service
• Proposed and finalized federal regulations from the Executive Office of the President of the United States
• Template:Gutenberg author
• Template:Internet Archive author