Office of the Vice President of the United States
The Office of the Vice President includes personnel who directly support or advise the vice president of the United States. The Office is headed by the chief of staff to the Vice President of the United States, currently Hartina Flournoy. The office also provides staffing and support to the second gentleman of the United States. It is primarily housed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (containing the vice president's ceremonial office),[1] with offices for the vice president also in the West Wing, the U.S. Capitol, and in the vice president's official residence.
Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1939 |
Headquarters | Eisenhower Executive Office Building |
Employees | Approx 100 |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | Federal government of the United States |
Website | Vice President Kamala Harris |
History
With only three constitutional functions – to replace the President in the event of death, disability or resignation; to count the votes of electors for President and Vice President and declare the winners before a joint session of Congress; and to preside over the Senate (with the role of breaking ties) – Vice Presidents had few official duties in the executive branch, and were thus considered part of the legislative branch for purposes of salary. Salary for staff of the Office of the Vice President continues to be funded through both legislative and executive branch appropriations.
For the first century and half of its history, the Vice President had no staff other than a secretary and a personal assistant or two. This began to change with the 1939 Reorganization Act, which included an "Office of the Vice President" (who at the time was John Nance Garner), under the Executive Office of the President.
Vice President Henry Wallace was given actual executive duties during World War II, as was Alben Barkley, who became a member of the National Security Council in 1949.
The Office of the Vice President has been located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building since the 1950s, while the Vice President individually has also been provided an office in the West Wing since 1977. Much of the Office of the Vice President centers around the offices once provided to the Secretary of the Navy when the Eisenhower building was first constructed.
Current staff
Office of the Vice President
- Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President: Tina Flournoy[2]
- Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President: Michael Fuchs[2]
- Counsel: Greg Jacob
- Deputy Counsel: Matthew Sheehan
- Special Assistant to the President and Director of Finance: Samuel Tubb
- Director of Advance: Aaron Chang[3]
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Scheduling: Bethany S. Scully[3]
- Executive Assistant to the Vice President: Sara L. Edwards
- Special Assistant to the President and Personal Aide: Zachary C. Bauer[3]
- Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President: Nancy McEldowney[2]
- Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President: Philip Gordon[4]
- Communications Director to the Vice President: Ashley Etienne[2]
- Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson for the Vice President: Symone D. Sanders[2]
- Deputy Press Secretary: Sabrina Singh
- Assistant Press Secretary: Rachel Palermo
- Director of Speechwriting: Kate Childs Graham[2]
- Deputy Assistant to the President Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President: Rohini Kosoglu[2]
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Vice President: Vincent Evans
Office of the Second Gentleman
- Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Second Gentleman: Julie Mason[2]
References
- "Vice President of the United States - Ceremonial Office". georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov.
- "White House Senior Staff". Biden-Harris Transition. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.
- "Vice President Mike Pence Announces Andrea Thompson as National Security Advisor" (Press release). The White House, Office of the Vice President. January 25, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- "President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Announce Additional Members of the Office of the Vice President". Biden-Harris Transition (Press release). January 16, 2021. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.