The Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of the immediate staff of the President of the United States, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the President. The EOP is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, currently Rahm Emanuel.
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building at night.
History
In 1939, during Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term in office, the foundations of the modern White House staff were created. Based on the recommendations of a presidentially commissioned panel of political science and public administration experts, the Brownlow Committee, Roosevelt was able to get Congress to approve the Reorganization Act of 1939. This created the Executive Office of the President (EOP), reporting directly to the President. The EOP encompassed two subunits at its outset: the White House Office (WHO) and the Bureau of the Budget, the predecessor to today's Office of Management and Budget, which had been created in 1921 and originally located in the Treasury Department. Initially, the new staff system appeared more ambitious on paper than in practice; the increase in the size of the staff was quite modest at the start. But it laid the groundwork for the large and organizationally complex White House staff that would emerge during the presidencies of Roosevelt's successors[1].
Roosevelt's efforts are also notable in contrast to those of his predecessors in office. During the nineteenth century, Presidents had few staff resources. Thomas Jefferson had one messenger and one secretary at his disposal, both of whose salaries were paid by the President personally. It was not until 1857 that Congress appropriated money ($2,500) for the hiring of one clerk. By Ulysees S. Grant's presidency, the staff had grown to three. By 1900, the White House staff included one "secretary to the President" (then the title of the President's chief aide), two assistant secretaries, two executive clerks, a stenographer, and seven other office personnel. Under Warren G. Harding, the size of the staff expanded to thirty-one, although most were clerical positions. During Herbert Hoover's presidency, two additional secretaries to the President were added by Congress, one of whom Hoover designated as his Press Secretary. From 1933 to 1939, even as he greatly expanded the scope of the federal government's policies and powers in response to the Great Depression, Roosevelt muddled through: his "brains trust" of top advisers, although working directly for the President, often were appointed to vacant positions in agencies and departments, from whence they drew their salaries since the White House lacked statutory or budgetary authority to create new staff positions.
From 1939 through the present, the situation changed dramatically. New units within the EOP were created, some by statute, some by executive order of the President. Among the most important are the Council of Economic Advisers (1946), the National Security Council and its staff (1947), the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (1963), the Council on Environmental Quality (1970), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (1976), the Office of Administration (1977), and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (1989). Under President George W. Bush, additional units were added, such as the Office of Homeland Security (2001), which later became a cabinet department, and the Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives (2001). Precise estimates as to the size and budget of the EOP are difficult to come by. Many people who work on the staff are "detailed" from other federal departments and agencies, and budgetary expenses are often charged elsewhere, for example Defense Department staff for the White House Military Office. Ballpark estimates indicate some 2,000 to 2,500 persons serve in EOP staff positions with policy-making responsibilities, with a budget of $300 to $400 million (President George W. Bush's budget request for Fiscal Year 2005 was for $341 million in support of 1,850 personnel)[2].
Organization
Senior staff within the Executive Office of the President have the title Assistant to the President, second-level staff have the title Deputy Assistant to the President, and third-level staff have the title Special Assistant to the President.
Very few EOP officials are required to be confirmed by the Senate, although there are a handful of exceptions to this rule (e.g., the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the United States Trade Representative). The core White House Staff appointments do not require Senate approval. The staff of the Executive Office to the President is headed by the White House Chief of Staff.
Office of the Vice President
The Office of the Vice President includes personnel who directly support or advise the Vice President of the United States. The Office is currently headed by the Vice President's Chief of Staff, currently Ron Klain. The Office also provides staffing and support to the Second Lady of the United States.
Entities in the Executive Office of the President
Council of Economic Advisers
Council on Environmental Quality
Domestic Policy Council
- Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Director of the Domestic Policy Council: Melody Barnes[3]
- Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Deputy-Director of the Domestic Policy Council: Heather Higginbottom[3]
National Economic Council
- Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council: Lawrence Summers[3]
- Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy-Director of the National Economic Council: Diana Farrell[5]
- Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy-Director of the National Economic Council: Jason Furman[5]
National Security Council
Office of Administration
- Director of the Office of Administration: Vacant
Office of Management and Budget
Office of National AIDS Policy
Office of National Drug Control Policy
- Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy: Gil Kerlikowske[14]
- Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy: Dr. Thomas McLellan[15]
Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy: John Holdren[16]
Office of the Trade Representative
President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board
President's Intelligence Advisory Board
- Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board: Vacant
White House Military Office
- Director of the White House Military Office: Vacant
White House Office
References
External links
|
Executive Office of the President of the United States |
|
|
|
 |
|
