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United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox official post The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is a member of the United States Cabinet. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the incumbent secretary of health and human services, having held the position since February 13, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The office was formerly known as the secretary of health, education, and welfare. In 1980, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was renamed to Department of Health and Human Services, and its education functions and Rehabilitation Services Administration were transferred to the new United States Department of Education.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Patricia Roberts Harris headed the department before and after it was renamed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Nominations to the office are referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the United States Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before confirmation is considered by the full United States Senate. The secretary of health and human services is a level I position in the Executive Schedule,<ref>Template:UnitedStatesCode</ref> thus earning a salary of US$250,600, as of January 2025.<ref name="Salary">Template:Cite web</ref>

Duties

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File:Flag of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.png
The flag of the secretary of health, education, and welfare, the predecessor to the current office.

The duties of the secretary revolve around human conditions and concerns in the United States. This includes advising the president on matters of health, welfare, and income security programs. The secretary strives to administer the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out approved programs and make the public aware of the objectives of the department.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was reorganized into a Department of Education and a Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS).

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees 11 agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

List of secretaries

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Parties

Template:Legend2 (9) Template:Legend2 (15) Template:Legend2 (2)

Status Template:Legend2

Health, education, and welfare

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No. Portrait Name State of residence Took office Left office President(s)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Hobby-Oveta-Culp.jpg Template:Sortname Texas April 11, 1953 July 31, 1955 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1953–1961)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Folsom.jpg Template:Sortname New York August 2, 1955 July 31, 1958
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:ArthurSFlemming.jpg Template:Sortname Ohio August 1, 1958 January 19, 1961
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Ribicoff.jpg Template:Sortname Connecticut January 21, 1961 July 13, 1962 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1961–1963)
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Celebrez.jpg Template:Nowrap Ohio July 31, 1962 August 17, 1965
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1963–1969)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:John W. Gardner, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.jpg Template:Sortname California August 18, 1965 March 1, 1968
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Wilburportrait.jpg Template:Sortname Michigan May 16, 1968 January 20, 1969
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Robert Finch, 1967.jpg Template:Sortname California January 21, 1969 June 23, 1970 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1969–1974)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:ElliotLeeRichardson.jpg Template:Sortname Massachusetts June 24, 1970 January 29, 1973
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Caspar Weinberger official photo.jpg Template:Sortname California February 12, 1973 August 8, 1975
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1974–1977)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:F. David Mathews.jpg Template:Sortname Alabama August 8, 1975 January 20, 1977
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Swearing-in of Joseph Califano, Secretary of HEW - NARA - 173478 (cropped).tif Template:Sortname District of Columbia January 25, 1977 August 3, 1979 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1977–1981)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Patricia R. Harris official portrait.jpg Template:Sortname District of Columbia August 3, 1979 May 4, 1980<ref name=PatriciaHarris>Harris was Secretary on May 4, 1980, when the office changed names from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Because the department merely changed names, she did not need to be confirmed again, and her term continued uninterrupted.</ref>

Health and human services

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No. Portrait Name State of residence Took office Left office President(s)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Patricia R. Harris official portrait.jpg Template:Sortname District of Columbia May 4, 1980<ref name=PatriciaHarris/> January 20, 1981 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1977–1981)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Secretary Richard Schweiker.jpg Template:Sortname Pennsylvania January 22, 1981 February 3, 1983 rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1981–1989)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Mmheckler.JPG Template:Sortname Massachusetts March 10, 1983 December 13, 1985
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Otis R. Bowen.jpg Template:Sortname Indiana December 13, 1985 March 1, 1989
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:SullivanLouis.jpg Template:Sortname Georgia March 1, 1989 January 20, 1993 Template:Sortname
(1989–1993)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Shalala portrait.jpg Template:Sortname Wisconsin January 22, 1993 January 20, 2001 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(1993–2001)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Tommy Thompson 1.jpg Template:Sortname Wisconsin February 2, 2001 January 26, 2005 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(2001–2009)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Mike Leavitt.jpg Template:Sortname Utah January 26, 2005 January 20, 2009
Template:Color File:JohnsonCharlesE.jpg Template:Sortname Utah January 20, 2009 April 28, 2009 rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(2009–2017)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Kathleen Sebelius official portrait (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Kansas April 28, 2009 June 9, 2014
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Sylvia Mathews Burwell official portrait (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname West Virginia June 9, 2014 January 20, 2017
Template:Color File:Norris Cochran (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Florida January 20, 2017 February 10, 2017 rowspan=5 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(2017–2021)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Tom Price official photo (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Georgia February 10, 2017 September 29, 2017
Template:Color File:Don J. Wright official portrait (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Virginia September 29, 2017 October 10, 2017
Template:Color File:Eric D. Hargan official photo (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Illinois October 10, 2017 January 29, 2018
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Alex Azar official portrait (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Indiana January 29, 2018 January 20, 2021
Template:Color File:Norris Cochran (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname Florida January 20, 2021 March 19, 2021 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(2021–2025)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:HHS Xavier Becerra (cropped).jpg Template:Sortname California March 19, 2021 January 20, 2025
Template:Color File:Dorothy-Fink.jpg Template:Sortname Pennsylvania January 20, 2025 February 13, 2025 rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | Template:Sortname
(2025–present)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Color File:Robert F. Kennedy Jr., official portrait (2025) (cropped 3-4).jpg Robert F. Kennedy Jr. California February 13, 2025 Incumbent

Line of succession

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The line of succession for the secretary of health and human services is as follows:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

  1. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.
  2. General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services
  3. Assistant Secretary for Administration
  4. Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
  5. Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  6. Commissioner of Food and Drugs
  7. Director of the National Institutes of Health
  8. Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
  9. Other assistant secretaries (following in the order they took the oath of office)
    1. Assistant Secretary for Health
    2. Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
    3. Assistant Secretary for Legislation
    4. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
    5. Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources
    6. Assistant Secretary for Aging
  10. Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  11. Director, Region 4 (Atlanta, Georgia)

References

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