77-730: The director of national intelligence ( DNI ) is a senior cabinet-level United States government official, required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and to direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program (NIP). All 18 IC agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),
154-462: A TV interview, Rockefeller stated, I took a trip ... in January 2002 to Saudi Arabia , Jordan and Syria , and I told each of the heads of state that it was my view that George Bush had already made up his mind to go to war against Iraq, that that was a predetermined set course that had taken shape shortly after 9/11. Rockefeller noted that the comment expresses his personal opinion, and that he
231-575: A compromised server. On June 1, 2011, Rockefeller sponsored the fourth West Virginia Homeland Security Summit and Expo. The event ran two days and focused on homeland security with Rockefeller emphasizing cybersecurity. In 1997, Rockefeller co-authored the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – a program aimed at giving low-income children health insurance coverage. Annually, CHIP has been successfully covering about 6 million children, who otherwise would have been uninsured. On September 30, 2007,
308-403: A proponent of a public option , fighting with some Democrats on the finance committee, in particular Max Baucus , the chairman of the committee, who contended that there was not enough support for a public option to gather the 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster. Baucus asked repeatedly for Rockefeller to stop speaking on the issue. On September 29, 2009, Rockefeller offered an amendment to
385-599: A relentless public campaign in the aftermath of the attacks to use the war against Al Qaeda as a justification for overthrowing Saddam Hussein." In July 2007, Rockefeller announced that he planned to introduce legislation before the August congressional recess that would give the FCC the power to regulate TV violence. According to the edition of July 16, 2007, of Broadcasting & Cable, the new law would apply to both broadcast as well as cable and satellite programming. This would mark
462-519: A retroactive, nine-year immunity to U.S. officials who authorized, ordered, or committed acts of torture and abuse, permitting the use of statements obtained through torture to be used in military tribunals so long as the abuse took place by December 30, 2005. Rockefeller's vote authorized the President to establish permissible interrogation techniques and to "interpret the meaning and application" of international Geneva Convention standards, so long as
539-915: A room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of the White House. The president chairs the meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The vice president of the United States serves in the Cabinet by statute. The heads of departments, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate , are members of the Cabinet, and acting department heads also participate in Cabinet meetings whether or not they have been officially nominated for Senate confirmation. The president may designate heads of other agencies and non-Senate-confirmed members of
616-473: A special counsel or commission inquiry into the destruction of the tapes, stating "it is the job of the intelligence committees to do that." On September 28, 2006, Rockefeller voted with a largely Republican majority to suspend habeas corpus provisions for anyone deemed by the Executive Branch an "unlawful combatant," barring them from challenging their detentions in court. Rockefeller's vote gave
693-534: Is a retired American politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia (1985–2015). He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as governor of West Virginia (1977–1985). Rockefeller moved to Emmons, West Virginia , to serve as a VISTA worker in 1964 and was first elected to public office as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates (1966–1968). Rockefeller
770-458: Is a trustee of New York's Asia Society , which was established by his father in 1956. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations , a nonprofit think tank previously chaired by his uncle, David Rockefeller . As a senator, he voted against the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement , which was heavily backed by David Rockefeller. Rockefeller served on the following committees in
847-540: Is codified in Title ;5 of the United States Code . Twenty-one positions, including the heads of the executive departments and others, receiving Level I pay are listed in 5 U.S.C. § 5312 , and those forty-six positions on Level II pay (including the number two positions of the executive departments) are listed in 5 U.S.C. § 5313 . As of January 2023 ,
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#1732797162358924-526: The 112th Congress : Rockefeller initially supported the use of force based upon the evidence presented by the intelligence community that linked Iraq to nuclear ambitions. After the Niger uranium forgeries , in which the Bush administration gave forged documents to U.N. weapons inspectors to support allegations against Iraq, Rockefeller started an investigation into the falsification and exaggeration of evidence for
1001-683: The Baucus Health Bill in the Senate Finance Committee to add a public option. The amendment was rejected 15 to 8, with five Democrats (Baucus, Kent Conrad , Blanche Lincoln , Tom Carper , Bill Nelson ) and all Republicans voting no. Rockefeller supported President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; he voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009, and he voted for
1078-874: The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), report directly to the DNI. The DNI also serves, upon invitation, as the principal advisor to the president of the United States, the National Security Council , and the Homeland Security Council on all intelligence matters. The DNI, supported by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), produces
1155-552: The Director of Central Intelligence . The line of succession for the director of national intelligence is as follows: Cabinet of the United States#Current Cabinet and Cabinet-rank officials [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Cabinet of the United States is the principal official advisory body to the president of the United States . The Cabinet generally meets with the president in
1232-490: The Executive Office of the President as members of the Cabinet. The Cabinet does not have any collective executive powers or functions of its own, and no votes need to be taken. There are 26 members: the vice president , 15 department heads, and 10 Cabinet-level officials, all except two of whom require Senate confirmation . During Cabinet meetings, the members sit in the order in which their respective department
1309-706: The First Lady , opening up his mansion next to Rock Creek Park for its first strategy meeting. The reform was subsequently defeated by an alliance between the Business Roundtable and a small-business coalition. In 2002, Rockefeller made an official visit to several Middle Eastern countries, during which he discussed his personal views regarding United States military intentions with the leaders of those countries. In October of that year, Rockefeller strongly expressed his concern for Saddam Hussein 's alleged weapons of mass destruction program while addressing
1386-584: The House of Representatives and trial in the Senate for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors". The Constitution of the United States does not explicitly establish a Cabinet. The Cabinet's role is inferred from the language of the Opinion Clause (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1) of the Constitution for principal officers of departments to provide advice to
1463-450: The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 by votes of 336–75 in the House of Representatives , and 89–2 in the Senate . President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on December 17, 2004. Among other things, the law established the DNI position as the designated leader of the United States Intelligence Community and prohibited the DNI from serving as the CIA director or
1540-965: The International Christian University in Tokyo. He graduated from Harvard in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Far Eastern languages and history. He attended Yale University and did graduate work in Oriental studies and studied the Chinese language. After college, Rockefeller worked for the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C., under President John F. Kennedy , where he developed a friendship with Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and worked as an assistant to Peace Corps Director Sargent Shriver . He served as
1617-591: The National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The first director of national intelligence was former U.S. ambassador to Iraq John Negroponte who was appointed on February 17, 2005, by President George W. Bush, subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate. It was reported that President Bush's first choice for DNI
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#17327971623581694-514: The President's Daily Brief (PDB), a classified document including intelligence from all IC agencies, handed each morning to the president of the United States. President George W. Bush strengthened the role of the DNI on July 30, 2008, with Executive Order 13470 , which, among other things, solidified the DNI's legal authority to direct intelligence gathering and analysis, and to set policy for intelligence sharing with foreign agencies and for
1771-482: The United States Senate , and the only one to have held office as a Democrat , in what has been a traditionally Republican family (though he too was originally a Republican until he decided to run for office in the then-heavily Democratic state ). Rockefeller did not seek reelection in 2014 and was succeeded by Republican U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito . John Davison Rockefeller IV
1848-437: The armed forces or have training or experience in military intelligence activities and requirements. Only one of the two positions can be held by a military officer at any given time. The statute does not specify what rank the commissioned officer will hold during their tenure in either position. The DNI, who is appointed by the president of the United States and is subject to confirmation by the United States Senate , serves at
1925-469: The AT&;T contributions represent about 2% of the money he raised during the previous year. Although publicly deploring torture, Rockefeller was one of two congressional Democrats briefed on waterboarding and other secret CIA practices in the early years of the Bush administration, as well as the existence of taped evidence of such interrogations ( later destroyed ). In December 2007, Rockefeller opposed
2002-492: The Cabinet by statute). Functionally, the president may give wide latitude to department heads and often it is legally possible for a Cabinet member to exercise certain powers over his or her own department against the president's wishes, but in practice this is highly unusual due to the threat of dismissal. The president also has the authority to organize the Cabinet, such as instituting committees. Like all federal public officials, Cabinet members are also subject to impeachment by
2079-612: The Level I annual pay was set at $ 235,600. The annual salary of the vice president is $ 235,300. The salary level was set by the Government Salary Reform Act of 1989, which provides an automatic cost of living adjustment for federal employees. The vice president receives the same pension as other members of Congress as the president of the Senate . The individuals listed below were nominated by President Joe Biden to form his Cabinet and were confirmed by
2156-666: The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as an independent agency to assist the DNI. The ODNI's goal is to effectively integrate foreign, military and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of United States interests abroad. The ODNI has about 1,750 employees. Its headquarters are in McLean, Virginia . On March 23, 2007, DNI Mike McConnell announced organizational changes, which included: The ODNI continued to evolve under succeeding directors, culminating in an organization focused on intelligence integration across
2233-526: The Presidency in January 2025. Declan McCullagh at News.com wrote on August 24, 2007, that the DNI site was configured to repel all search engines to index any page at DNI.gov. This effectively made the DNI website invisible to all search engines and in turn, any search queries. Ross Feinstein, Spokesman for the DNI, said that the cloaking was removed as of September 3, 2007. "We're not even sure how (the robots.txt file) got there" – but it
2310-575: The Senate Intelligence Committee to grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies who were accused of unlawfully assisting the National Security Agency (NSA) in monitoring the communications of American citizens. This was an about-face of sorts for Senator Rockefeller, who had hand-written a letter to Vice President Dick Cheney in 2003 expressing his concerns about the legality of NSA's warrantless wire-tapping program. Some have attributed this change of heart to
2387-543: The Treasury Alexander Hamilton , Secretary of War Henry Knox and Attorney General Edmund Randolph . Vice President John Adams was not included in Washington's Cabinet because the position was initially regarded as a legislative officer (president of the Senate). Furthermore, until there was a vacancy in the presidency (which did not occur until the death of William Henry Harrison in 1841) it
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2464-552: The U.S. Senate: There has been some debate over how "imminent" a threat Iraq poses. I do believe that Iraq poses an imminent threat, but I also believe that after September 11 , that question is increasingly outdated. It is in the nature of these weapons, and the way they are targeted against civilian populations, that documented capability and demonstrated intent may be the only warning we get. To insist on further evidence could put some of our fellow Americans at risk. Can we afford to take that chance? We cannot! In November 2005 during
2541-551: The United States Senate on the date noted or are serving as acting department heads by his request, pending the confirmation of his nominees. The Cabinet permanently includes the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments, listed here according to their order of succession to the presidency . The speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate follow the vice president and precede
2618-529: The VA health care system. Rockefeller is also a strong supporter of the fight against Alzheimer's and neurological disease. The Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) was founded in Morgantown in 1999 by Rockefeller and his family to help advance medical and scientific understanding of Alzheimer's and other diseases of the brain. BRNI is the world's only non-profit institute dedicated exclusively to
2695-608: The West Virginia University Libraries and the West Virginia & Regional History Center . The archival collection documents his 30-year career in the United States Senate. According to the website GovTrack, Rockefeller missed 541 of 9,992 roll call votes from January 1985 to July 2014. This amounted to 5.4 percent, which was worse than the median of 2.0 percent among senators serving as of July 2014. Rockefeller, along with his son Charles,
2772-626: The beginning of their term. An elected vice president does not require Senate confirmation, nor does the White House Chief of Staff , which is an appointed staff position of the Executive Office of the President. The heads of the executive departments and most other senior federal officers at cabinet or sub-cabinet level receive their salary under a fixed five-level pay plan known as the Executive Schedule , which
2849-464: The coercion fell short of "serious" bodily or psychological injury. The bill became law on October 17, 2006. On February 29, 2008, he endorsed Barack Obama for president of the United States, citing Obama's judgment on the Iraq war and national security issues, and calling him the right candidate to lead America during a time of instability at home and abroad. This endorsement stood in stark contrast to
2926-539: The comment. Rockefeller later apologized for the comment and the Obama campaign issued a statement expressing Obama's disagreement with the comment. Senator Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina noted that "John didn't drop bombs from 35,000 feet. ... the bombs were not laser guided (in the 1960 and 1970s)". On April 1, 2009, Rockefeller introduced the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 - S.773 before Congress. Citing
3003-470: The community. The ODNI leadership includes the director, principal deputy director and chief operating officer. In addition, the Director of Defense Intelligence reports to the DNI. There are two directorates, each led by a Deputy Director of National Intelligence: There are five mission centers, each led by a director of that center: There are also four oversight offices: The USIC comprises 17 intelligence agencies and organizations: Position succeeded
3080-457: The first administration of President Donald Trump . The seventh and current DNI is Avril Haines , who took office on January 21, 2021. The first woman to hold the office, she was nominated by President-elect Joe Biden on November 23, 2020 and confirmed by the Senate on January 20, 2021. On November 13, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence upon returning to
3157-399: The first time that the FCC would be given power to regulate such a vast spectrum of content, which would include almost everything except material produced strictly for direct internet use. An aide to the senator said that his staff had also been carefully formulating the bill in such a way that it would be able to pass constitutional scrutiny by the courts. In 2007, Rockefeller began steering
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3234-456: The fourth DNI. Clapper was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 5, and replaced acting director David C. Gompert . This followed Obama's dismissal of the third DNI, retired Navy admiral Dennis C. Blair , whose resignation became effective May 28, 2010. The fifth DNI, Dan Coats , the sixth DNI, John Ratcliffe , and acting DNIs Joseph Maguire , Richard Grenell and Lora Shiao , all served between March 16, 2017, and January 21, 2021, during
3311-584: The head of any other intelligence community element at the same time. In addition, the law required the CIA Director to report their agency's activities to the DNI. Critics say compromises during the bill's crafting led to the establishment of a DNI whose powers are too weak to adequately lead, manage and improve the performance of the intelligence community. In particular, the law left the United States Department of Defense in charge of
3388-452: The hiring and firing of senior intelligence officials. The DNI was given further responsibility for the entire IC's whistleblowing and source protection by President Obama via Presidential Policy Directive 19 on October 10, 2012. Under 50 U.S.C. § 3026 , "under ordinary circumstances, it is desirable" that either the director or the principal deputy director of national intelligence be an active-duty commissioned officer in
3465-487: The intelligence community was able to protect U.S. interests against foreign terrorist attacks. Senators Dianne Feinstein , Jay Rockefeller and Bob Graham introduced S. 2645 on June 19, 2002, to create the position of Director of National Intelligence. Other similar legislation soon followed. After considerable debate on the scope of the DNI's powers and authorities, the United States Congress passed
3542-798: The operations director for the Corps' largest overseas program, in the Philippines . He worked for a brief time in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs . He continued his public service in 1964–1965 in the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), under President Lyndon B. Johnson , during which time he moved to Emmons, West Virginia . Rockefeller was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1966. During his tenure, in
3619-492: The oversight committee of Dow Jones & Company (a subsidiary of News Corporation) to request that it conduct an investigation into the hiring of former CEO Les Hinton , and whether any current or former executives had knowledge of or played a role in phone hacking. He announced on January 11, 2013, that he would not run for a sixth term. On March 25, 2013, Rockefeller announced his support for gay marriage . In November 2014, Rockefeller donated his senatorial archives to
3696-502: The pleasure of the president . The position was elevated to a cabinet-level role during the first presidency of Donald Trump , a status it has retained under President Joe Biden . Currently, the DNI attends all Cabinet meetings and liaises with the Executive Office of the President of the United States and other Cabinet secretaries in the execution of their duties. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Congresswoman and U.S. Army reserve lieutenant-colonel Tulsi Gabbard to
3773-574: The position after his election. Before the DNI was formally established, the head of the United States Intelligence Community was the director of central intelligence (DCI), who concurrently served as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The 9/11 Commission recommended establishing the DNI position in its 9/11 Commission Report , not released until July 22, 2004, as it had identified major intelligence failures that called into question how well
3850-539: The president within their areas of responsibility without any specific delegation. Under 5 U.S.C. § 3110 (also known as the 1967 Federal Anti-Nepotism statute), federal officials are prohibited from appointing their immediate family members to certain governmental positions, including those in the Cabinet. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 , an administration may appoint acting heads of department from employees of
3927-478: The president would exercise executive authority solely or collaboratively with a cabinet of ministers or a privy council . As a result of the debates, the Constitution (Article II, Section 1, Clause 1) vests "the executive power" in the president singly, and authorizes—but does not compel—the president (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1) to "require the Opinion, in writing, of
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#17327971623584004-422: The president, it is provided that "nothing herein shall be deemed to require express authorization in any case in which such an official would be presumed in law to have acted by authority or direction of the president." This pertains directly to the heads of the executive departments as each of their offices is created and specified by statutory law (hence the presumption) and thus gives them the authority to act for
4081-525: The president. Additionally, the Twenty-fifth Amendment authorizes the vice president, together with a majority of the heads of the executive departments, to declare the president "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office". The heads of the executive departments are—if eligible—in the presidential line of succession . The tradition of the Cabinet arose out of the debates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention regarding whether
4158-605: The principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices". The Constitution does not specify what the executive departments will be, how many there will be, or what their duties will be. George Washington , the first president of the United States, organized his principal officers into a Cabinet, and it has been part of the executive branch structure ever since. Washington's Cabinet consisted of five members: himself, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson , Secretary of
4235-494: The program expired, requiring Congress to reauthorize the legislation. On August 2, 2007, the vote for reauthorization passed legislation by a strong, bipartisan vote (68–31). Rockefeller authored successful legislation that required the Department of Veterans Affairs, for the first time, to provide a wide range of extended care services—such as home health care, adult day care, respite care, and hospice care—to veterans who use
4312-431: The relevant department. These may be existing high-level career employees, from political appointees of the outgoing administration (for new administrations), or sometimes lower-level appointees of the administration. The heads of the executive departments and all other federal agency heads are nominated by the president and then presented to the Senate for confirmation or rejection by a simple majority (although before
4389-589: The results of the state primary that was easily won by Hillary Clinton . On April 7, 2008, in an interview for The Charleston Gazette , Rockefeller criticized John McCain's Vietnam experience : McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long gone when they hit. What happened when they get to the ground? He doesn't know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues. The McCain campaign called for an apology from Senator Rockefeller and for Barack Obama , whom Rockefeller endorsed, to denounce
4466-421: The secretary of state in the order of succession, but both are in the legislative branch and are not part of the Cabinet. The president may designate additional positions to be members of the Cabinet, which can vary under each president. They are not in the line of succession and are not necessarily officers of the United States . Jay Rockefeller John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937)
4543-520: The spike in contributions from telecommunications companies to the senator just as these companies began lobbying Congress to protect them from lawsuits regarding their cooperation with the National Security Agency . Between 2001 and the start of this lobbying effort, AT&T employees had contributed only $ 300 to the senator. After the lobbying effort began, AT&T employees and executives donated $ 19,350 in three months. The senator has pledged not to rely on his vast fortune to fund his campaigns, and
4620-590: The state in the presidential election . As in his 1980 gubernatorial campaign against Arch Moore, Rockefeller spent over $ 12 million to win a Senate seat. He was re-elected in 1990 , 1996 , 2002 and 2008 by substantial margins. He was chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs (1993–1995; January 3 to 20, 2001; and June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003). Rockefeller was the chair of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (2009–2015). In April 1992, he
4697-575: The study of both human memory and diseases of memory. Its primary mission is to accelerate neurological discoveries from the lab, including diagnostic tools and treatments, to the clinic to benefit patients who suffer from neurological and psychiatric diseases. A $ 30 million state-of-the-art BRNI research facility was opened at West Virginia University in Fall 2008. The approximately 80,000 square feet (7,400 m ) three-level building will house 100 scientists by 2012. On Healthcare Reform, Rockefeller has been
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#17327971623584774-694: The summer of 1968, after Robert Kennedy 's assassination, his uncle Nelson Rockefeller , governor of New York, offered him to take up the Senator's seat. He would ultimately refuse. He was later elected to the office of West Virginia Secretary of State in 1968. He won the Democratic nomination for governor in 1972 but was defeated in the general election by the Republican incumbent, Arch A. Moore Jr. . Rockefeller then served as president of West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1973 to 1975. Rockefeller
4851-608: The use of a parliamentary-style Cabinet government. However, Lincoln rebuffed Seward. While Woodrow Wilson was a professor he also advocated a parliamentary-style Cabinet but after becoming president he did not implement it in his administration. In recent administrations, Cabinets have grown to include key White House staff in addition to department and various agency heads. President Ronald Reagan formed seven sub-cabinet councils to review many policy issues, and subsequent presidents have followed that practice. In 3 U.S.C. § 302 with regard to delegation of authority by
4928-428: The use of the " nuclear option " during the 113th United States Congress , they could have been blocked by filibuster , requiring cloture to be invoked by 3 ⁄ 5 supermajority to further consideration). If approved, they receive their commission scroll , are sworn in , and begin their duties. When the Senate is not in session, the president can appoint acting heads of the executive departments, and do so at
5005-626: The vulnerability of the Internet to cyber-attacks, the bill makes provisions to turn the Department of Commerce into a public-private clearing house to share potential threat information with the owners of large private networks. It authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to sequester any information deemed necessary, without regard to any law. It would also authorizes the president to declare an undefined "cyber-emergency" which would allow them to shut down any and all traffic to what they considers to be
5082-649: The war. Through the investigations, he became an outspoken critic of Bush and the Iraq war. As chair of the Intelligence committee, he presided over a critical report on the administration's handling of intelligence and war operations . Rockefeller and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released the final two pieces of the Phase II report on Iraq war intelligence on June 5, 2008. Rockefeller said, "The president and his advisers undertook
5159-500: Was again somehow hidden the next day. On September 7, McCullagh reported that the DNI appeared to be open to web searches again. In September 2007, the Office of the DNI released " Intelligence Community 100 Day & 500 Day Plans for Integration & Collaboration ". These plans include a series of initiatives designed to build the foundation for increased cooperation and reform of the U.S. Intelligence Community. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 established
5236-418: Was born at New York Hospital in Manhattan to John Davison Rockefeller III (1906–1978) and Blanchette Ferry Hooker (1909–1992), 26 days after the death of his patrilineal great-grandfather, John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937). He is a grandson of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Jay graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1955. After his junior year at Harvard College , he spent three years studying Japanese at
5313-545: Was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence on October 4, 2007, and sworn in on October 9, 2007. Kerr, from Virginia, was previously the director of the National Reconnaissance Office and the deputy director for science and technology at the CIA before that. Earlier in his career, he was an assistant director at the FBI , in charge of their Laboratory Division from 1997 to 2001. On July 20, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated retired Air Force lieutenant general James Clapper as
5390-408: Was created, with the earliest being closest to the president and the newest farthest away. The members of the Cabinet whom the president appoints serve at the pleasure of the president . The president can dismiss them from office at any time without the approval of the Senate or downgrade their Cabinet membership status (the vice president of the United States is elected not appointed and serves in
5467-462: Was elected governor of West Virginia in 1976 and re-elected in 1980 . He served as governor when manufacturing plants and coal mines were closing as the national recession of the early 1980s hit West Virginia particularly hard. Between 1982 and 1984, West Virginia's unemployment rate hovered between 15 and 20 percent. In 1984 , he was elected to the United States Senate, narrowly defeating businessman John Raese as Ronald Reagan easily carried
5544-443: Was former director of central intelligence Robert M. Gates , who was serving as president of Texas A&M University , but who declined the offer. Negroponte was confirmed by a Senate vote of 98–2 on April 21, 2005, and he was sworn in by President Bush the same day. On February 13, 2007, Mike McConnell became the second director of national intelligence, after Negroponte was appointed Deputy Secretary of State . Donald M. Kerr
5621-552: Was later elected secretary of state of West Virginia (1968–1973) and was president of West Virginia Wesleyan College (1973–1975). He became the state's senior U.S. senator when the long-serving Senator Robert Byrd died in June 2010. Rockefeller is a great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller , who died less than a month before Jay's birth. He was the only serving politician of the Rockefeller family during his tenure in
5698-601: Was not certain that a vice president would be allowed to serve as president for the duration of the original term as opposed to merely acting as president until new elections could be held. It was not until the 20th century that vice presidents were regularly included as members of the Cabinet and came to be regarded primarily as a member of the executive branch. Presidents have used Cabinet meetings of selected principal officers but to widely differing extents and for different purposes. During President Abraham Lincoln 's administration, Secretary of State William H. Seward advocated
5775-608: Was not privy to any confidential information that such action was planned. On October 11, 2002, he was one of 77 senators who voted for the Iraq Resolution authorizing the Iraq invasion. In February 2010, regarding President Obama, Rockefeller said, He says 'I'm for clean coal,' and then he says it in his speeches, but he doesn't say it in here ... And he doesn't say it in the minds of my own people. And he's beginning to not be believable to me. Rockefeller faced criticism from West Virginia coal companies, which claimed that he
5852-590: Was out of touch. Rockefeller became the senior U.S. senator from West Virginia when Robert Byrd died in June 2010, after serving in the senate with Rockefeller for 25 years. In July 2011 Rockefeller was prominent in calling for U.S. agencies to investigate whether alleged phone hacking at News Corporation 's newspapers in the United Kingdom had targeted American victims of the September 11 attacks . Rockefeller and Barbara Boxer subsequently wrote to
5929-609: Was the Democratic Party's finance chairman and considered running for the presidency, but pulled out after consulting with friends and advisers. He went on to strongly endorse Bill Clinton as the Democratic nominee. He chaired the prominent Senate Intelligence Committee (retiring in January 2009), from which he commented frequently on the war in Iraq . In 1993, Rockefeller became the principal Senate supporter, with Ted Kennedy , behind Bill and Hillary Clinton 's sweeping health care reform package , liaising closely with
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