Serious question about HHS

[kshillbillys]

How come any old Governor, ex insurance commissioner can be Health and Human Services Secretary? Shouldn't that post go to a Doctor or nurse practitioner or someone that knows SOMETHING about Health and Human Services? I mean, I'm not complaining, we got rid of her but shouldn't that person be more qualified? I think a veterinarian would be more qualified than Kathleen Sebelius! It just goes to show you that if you smile at someone, hold their hand at a state convention meeting and pray for a VP nomination (that never came) if you just hold out a little longer (and don't pay your taxes) and bankrupt the state of Kansas, you can be 2nd or 3rd choice and ride that gravy train to Washington. At least she's not still here and the state of Kansas can get out of debt without her here and she can stay in Washington with BO and they both can bankrupt the United States together. I wonder if George Tiller was invited to the White House to the party after her confirmation? You can bet that we as US taxpayers spent more for that party than we did as taxpayers in Kansas for her $46,000 private party she had in honor of George Tiller and his staff. We spent $46,000 on steak and lobster and in turn she's raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars from Tiller the Baby Killer for the past several years...She should've spent some of her campaign money she got from him rather than OUR hard earned money. She turned around and told state workers earlier this year that there wasn't enough money to PAY them. I wonder how far that $46,000 would've went for their wages? Enough about her, i'm getting a horrible headache...

What exactly are the qualifications? (Warph?)

[dnalexander]

Kshillbilly, I think that is a very good question. I too would like to hear Warph's response, as well as others. I often wonder what qualifications someone has for the cabinet post. As far as I can see not much other than being appointed by the President and confirmation by Congress (Senate). I will include a few links that might help us figure some of it out.

David


http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet/
THE CABINET
The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.
The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.

In order of succession to the Presidency:

Vice President of the United States
Joseph R. Biden 
Department of State
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
http://www.state.gov
 
Department of the Treasury
Secretary Timothy F. Geithner
http://www.treasury.gov
 
Department of Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates
http://www.defenselink.mil
 
Department of Justice
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.
http://www.usdoj.gov
 
Department of the Interior
Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar
http://www.doi.gov
 
Department of Agriculture
Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack
http://www.usda.gov
 
Department of Commerce
Secretary Gary F. Locke
http://www.commerce.gov
 
Department of Labor
Secretary Hilda L. Solis
http://www.dol.gov
 
Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
http://www.hhs.gov
 
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Shaun L.S. Donovan
http://www.hud.gov
 
Department of Transportation
Secretary Raymond L. LaHood
http://www.dot.gov
 
Department of Energy
Secretary Steven Chu
http://www.energy.gov
 
Department of Education
Secretary Arne Duncan
http://www.ed.gov
 
Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric K. Shinseki
http://www.va.gov
 
Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Janet A. Napolitano
http://www.dhs.gov


The following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:
 
Council of Economic Advisers
Chair Christina Romer
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea/
 
Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
http://www.epa.gov
 
Office of Management & Budget
Director Peter R. Orszag
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb
 
United States Trade Representative
Ambassador Ronald Kirk
http://www.ustr.gov
 
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Ambassador Susan Rice
 
White House Chief of Staff
Rahm I. Emanuel 


US Constitution Online
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#A2Sec2


Article II, section 2 of the Constitution
Section 2 - Civilian Power over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may 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, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Wikipedia Reference on the US Cabinet. (Not my favorite source, but a good place to start)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Cabinet

United States Cabinet nominees are chosen from a large pool of potential candidates. One of the few qualification restrictions is set out in Article One of the Constitution: "no person holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either house during his continuance in office." Accordingly, a sitting member of the United States Congress must resign his or her seat to accept a Cabinet appointment. Additionally, Article I, Section 6 bars any member of Congress from holding an executive office that was created by law during his or her current term in Congress.

[Wilma]

David, I don't usually question your posts, but I have been under the impression that the Speaker of the House is next in line for the Presidency, after the vice President.  Am I wrong about this?  It seems that for some reason it was changed from Secretary of State some time ago for some obscure reason.  Maybe because the Secretary of State isn't an elected official and the Speaker of the House is.  Please clarify this for me.

[Diane Amberg]

Hmm. I don't know them all any more but I thought after Joe Biden it would be Speaker of the House Pelosi, then Senate Pro Tem Byrd and then Sec.of State Clinton.

[dnalexander]

David, I don't usually question your posts, but I have been under the impression that the Speaker of the House is next in line for the Presidency, after the vice President.  Am I wrong about this?  It seems that for some reason it was changed from Secretary of State some time ago for some obscure reason.  Maybe because the Secretary of State isn't an elected official and the Speaker of the House is.  Please clarify this for me.

The Speaker of the house is next in the line of succession after the Vice President. The Speaker of the House is NOT a cabinet member though so not mentioned since the article is about the cabinet. If you follow the link you will see it is taken directly from the White House official website.

David

[W. Gray]

So the story goes and there is no reason to doubt it:

Earl Warren dropped out of the Republican convention nomination process deferring to Eisenhower in exchange for a Supreme Court nomination should Ike become president.

This happened during the 1952 Republican convention nomination--back when the party conventions meant something and were a genuine nominating process.

Eisenhower appointed Warren to the Supreme Court soon after he became president.

Earl Warren was governor of California at the time.

He had been an attorney general but had never been a judge.

[dnalexander]

Full Order of Presidential Succession.

n 1947, the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 was signed into law by Harry Truman. This act set the order of presidential succession that is still followed today. This order is followed if the president dies or is incapacitated. The order of cabinet officers included in the list is determined by the dates on which each of their positions was created.

    * Vice President
    * Speaker of the House
    * President pro tempore of the Senate
    * Secretary of State
    * Secretary of Treasury
    * Secretary of Defense
    * Attorney General
    * Secretary of the Interior
    * Secretary of Agriculture
    * Secretary of Commerce
    * Secretary of Labor
    * Secretary of Health and Human Services
    * Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
    * Secretary of Transportation
    * Secretary of Energy
    * Secretary of Education
    * Secretary of Veterans Affairs
    * Secretary of Homeland Security

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/uspresidents/a/pres_succession.htm

David

[Wilma]

Thank you, David.  You're my man.

[dnalexander]

Thank you, David.  You're my man.

Remember Wilma, you have a "free pass" from me anyway. Sometimes I read my own posts and question them. I even go back often times and correct spelling and punctuation too. I have been wrong before. Don't worry about questioning me.

David

p.s. I prefer to go against the often quoted saying of you have to earn respect. I prefer to go by giving respect until some one does something to earn its removal. You have my respect and always will.

David

[Warph]

Sorry, guys... can't help you out.  Ol' Warph is in Georgia enjoying high humidity, tornado warnings, and almost hurricane winds.  A good break from the AZ sizzling hot weather.  God I love a good storm.... at least I don't have to wear pot holders while driving out here.  See y'all in a couple of weeks. 

(I'd better sign this or Jimmy Olson will have a fit  ) --Warph