Attorney
General - John Ashcroft, Alberto Gonzales
Michael Mukasey
Commerce
-
Don
Evans Carlos Gutierrez
Defense
-
Donald
Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates
Education
-Rod
Paige Margaret Spellings
Energy
-
Spencer
Abraham Sam Bodman
Health
and Human Services - Tommy
Thompson Michael
O. Leavitt
Housing-Alphonso
Jackson
Interior
- Gale
Norton Dick Kempthorne
Labor
-
Elaine Chao
Secretary
of State - Colin Powell
Condoleezza
Rice
Transportation
- Norman
Minetta Mary E. Peters
Treasury
- John Snow
Veterans
Affairs- Anthony
Principi, Jim
Nicholson Dr. James Peake
Homeland
Security - Tom Ridge, Bernard Kerik (withdrew); JudgeMichael
Chertoff
United
Nations - U.S. Representative -
John
Danforth Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Tuesday nominated U.S. Appeals Court Judge Michael Chertoff, an architect of the Justice Department's anti-terror response after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, to become secretary of homeland security.
After the debacle involving the nomination of former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, who abruptly withdrew his name from consideration a month ago, Chertoff appeared to be a safe choice. Bush pointed out he has already been confirmed for previous jobs three times by the Senate.
"In all of his roles, Mike has shown a deep commitment to the cause of justice and an unwavering determination to protect the American people. Mike has also been a key leader in the war on terror," Bush said in a White House ceremony with the balding, gaunt Chertoff at his side.
Chertoff, 51, of New Jersey, is a former assistant attorney general at the Justice Department and in the mid-1990s was a special counsel for the U.S. Senate's committee that investigated the Whitewater affair involving former President Bill Clinton, according to a Justice Department resume.
Bush said Chertoff already has experience in efforts to protect the United States from attack. On Sept. 11, 2001, Chertoff was managing the Justice Department's 800-strong criminal division.
"In the days after Sept. 11, Mike helped trace the terrorist attacks to the al Qaeda network. He understood immediately that the strategy in the war on terror is to prevent attacks before they occur," Bush said.
Chertoff found early support from Senate Democrat Charles Schumer who is on the Judiciary Committee that will consider the nomination. Schumer of New York said Chertoff has an "understanding of New York's and America's neglected homeland security needs" and "at the outset, he appears to be a strong choice."
The nomination of Chertoff comes nine days before Bush is inaugurated for his second four-year term and leaves the president with one last big job to fill, that of director of national intelligence. One candidate for that position is retired Gen. Tommy Franks, the former Central Command chief who led the invasion of Iraq and the war in Afghanistan.
Chertoff has been an appeals court judge for the 3rd Circuit since June 2003.
"He's faced
countless challenging decisions and has helped to protect his fellow
Americans
while protecting their civil liberties," Bush said.
WASHINGTON (Dec. 13) -- President Bush chose Environmental Protection Agency chief Michael Leavitt on Monday to be secretary of Health and Human Services, filling one of the last two openings in his second-term Cabinet.
Bush praised Leavitt as a ''fine executive'' and ''a man of great compassion.'' ''He's an ideal choice to lead one of the largest departments of the United States government.''
Leavitt, Utah's governor before joining the Bush administration in late 2003, would succeed Tommy Thompson, who recently resigned.
Bush also has to name a new head of the Homeland Security Department to take the place of Bernard Kerik, who abruptly withdrew his nomination Friday night, citing immigration problems with a family housekeeper.
Leavitt thanked Bush for showing confidence in him. ''I feel a real sense of understandable regret'' about leaving the EPA, he said.
He
said his new agency, the department
of Health and Human Service, plays a vital part in the lives of every
American.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush nominated Deputy Treasury Secretary Sam Bodman as his choice for energy secretary on Friday as he nearly completed his second-term Cabinet.
Bush's choice, if confirmed by the Senate, would replace Spencer Abraham, who resigned. Bush said Bodman, a former deputy commerce secretary, would bring a great talent to the Energy Department.
"We'll pursue more energy close to home in our own country and in our own hemisphere so that we're less dependent on energy from unstable parts of the world," Bush said.
Bodman said he looked forward to the challenge.
"If confirmed
by the Senate, my colleagues and I at the Department of Energy stand
ready
to carry forward your vision of sound energy policy to ensure a steady
supply of affordable energy for America's homes and businesses, and to
work toward the day when America achieves energy independence," Bodman
said.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) moved to complete his second-term Cabinet on Thursday with an announcement that the heads of the transportation, labor, interior and housing departments would remain in their jobs.
The White House
said Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, Labor Secretary Elaine
Chao,
Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Housing and Urban Development
Secretary
Alphonso Jackson will stay. Bush was to announce on Thursday
morning
his nomination for veterans affairs, after the resignation on Wednesday
of Anthony Principi.
Nine of 15 Cabinet secretaries have resigned. Bush has still to name nominees to head the Energy Department and the department of Health and Human Services. The White House announced on Wednesday that Treasury Secretary John Snow would stay in his job, ending a frenzy of speculation about whether he would be replaced.
A Look at
Who's Left in Bush's Cabinet
Fri Dec 3,12:49
PM ET White House - AP Cabinet & State
By The Associated
Press
A look at who's left in President Bush (news - web sites)'s Cabinet and their prospects for staying on in the next term:
DEFENSE SECRETARY DONALD H. RUMSFELD: Rumsfeld, 71, has not disclosed whether he intends to stay, but his aides have said repeatedly they have no indication he will leave. They also said this week that Rumsfeld had not discussed his future with the president. It is widely believed among Pentagon officials that Rumsfeld wants to remain, at least temporarily, to steer the military further in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to continue his efforts to make fundamental changes in how the Pentagon operates.
TREASURY SECRETARY JOHN SNOW: Snow, 65, a former chief at railroad giant CSX with a Ph.D. in economics, took over the Treasury Department in February. The White House recently called Snow a valuable member of the economics team but has not said whether it intends to keep him. During the presidential campaign, Snow was a tireless traveler — especially to battleground states — promoting the president's economic policies.
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY NORMAN Y. MINETA: Mineta, 73, the only Democrat in Bush's Cabinet, does not plan to step down soon but could leave once Congress passes the huge highway spending bill, aides say. Mineta has recovered from health problems that plagued him during the first term and forced him to work from home and the hospital.
INTERIOR SECRETARY GALE NORTON: Norton, 50, has expressed interest in keeping her job. She dismissed any notion she might return soon to Colorado to begin a campaign for governor or senator, or to seek an appointment as a federal judge.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR MIKE LEAVITT: Leavitt, 53, gave up his job as Utah governor to join the Cabinet last year. He says he likes the post and has much he wants to accomplish there.
VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY ANTHONY PRINCIPI: Principi, 60, has been popular with veterans groups despite their dissatisfaction with VA funding levels. Principi has pushed for more money for veterans, worked to reduce long waits for care and to resolve benefits claims for older veterans. He has drawn criticism for suspending health care enrollments for some veterans and approving plans to shut down some aging or underused VA hospitals. It's unclear how long he will keep his job.
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY ALPHONSO JACKSON: Jackson, 59, is a Bush friend from Texas who took over HUD in March. He is expected to remain in the post. Aides say Jackson is taking a vacation now with his family, and plans to start work soon on promoting HUD's second-term agenda.
LABOR SECRETARY
ELAINE CHAO: Chao, 51, is the first Asian-American woman appointed to a
Cabinet post. Chao has said little publicly about her job plans other
than
she enjoys the post and serves at the pleasure of the president.
Business
groups think she might stay on, at least temporarily. Chao is married
to
the Senate's assistant majority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
