After Bill Clinton's resignation January 1998, President Al Gore had to walk a fine line of managing an executive branch he inherited. Although there were some changes, most notably Attorney General Janet Reno's resignation, most of the Cabinet remained through Gore's partial first term. When reelected for his single full term in 2000, Gore was given a mandate to appoint his preferred administration.
With an increasingly diverse party, Gore wanted his Cabinet to reflect America and the Democratic Party. Some critics called it crass identity politics.
Vice President Sam Nunn, appointed by Gore as one of the few acceptable choices to the Republican Senate, had no desire to run for reelection in 2000. Senator Feinstein had been selected as his running mate to balance the ticket against Republican nominee Elizabeth Dole, the first female candidate from a major party. A woman on the ticket also helped after the fallout from Clinton's resignation. She would also be the first Jewish Vice President.
Democrats had a slim Senate majority after the 2000 election, but only the most extreme Republican Senators had suggested filibustering the President's Cabinet nominees if they were qualified.
Former Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall had one of the more intense nomination battles, with the hearings mostly re-litigating the Kelly Flinn scandal. But Widnall was eventually confirmed as the first Secretary of Defense. Barbara Underwood, who had been in the role as an acting position, was officially appointed as the first female Solicitor General. After George Tenet resigned in 2003, Deputy Director Jami Miscik was appointed as the first female CIA Director. UN Ambassador Wendy Sherman would become a visible figure of Gore's international policy agenda, being a critical voice for the North Korean nuclear deal and Iraqi containment. With Elizabeth Moler continuing at Energy and Katie McGinty at EPA, Gore's aggressive climate agenda would also be spearheaded by two women.
The Gore Cabinet had other representative firsts as well. America's two "top cops" were Eric Holder as the first African-American Attorney General and Jim Johnson as the first African-American FBI Director. Director of the National Park Service Robert Stanton was the first African-American Interior Secretary. Former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice would take over HUD, replacing now Senator Cuomo. Togo West would continue to serve in his role as VA Secretary. Roger Ferguson continued to serve as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. When Secretary Widnall resigned in 2003, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Colin Powell was tapped by Gore to lead the Defense Department in its review of and process to discontinue "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
John Kitzhaber would serve as the first Jewish Agriculture Secretary. Fred Hochberg was the first openly gay Cabinet-level member, as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Nancy-Ann Min DeParle was the first Asian-American member of the Cabinet and Albuquerque mayor Martin Chávez was the first Commerce Secretary of Hispanic descent. Hispanics were also represented by sheriff and physician Richard Carmona as Director of National Drug Control Policy and former Chief of the National Guard Bureau Edward D. Baca as FEMA Director.
2001 - 2005
President – Al Gore
Vice President – Dianne Feinstein
Secretary of State – Richard Holbrooke
Secretary of the Treasury – Larry Summers*
- 2003 – 2005 – Erskine Bowles
Secretary of Defense – Sheila Widnall
- 2003 – 2005 - Colin Powell
Attorney General – Eric Holder*
Secretary of the Interior – Robert Stanton
Secretary of Agriculture – John Kitzhaber
Secretary of Commerce – Martin Chávez
Secretary of Labor – Ron Klink
Secretary of Health and Human Services – Nancy-Ann Min DeParle
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development – Norm Rice
Secretary of Transportation – Parris Glendening
Secretary of Energy – Elizabeth Moler*
Secretary of Education – James B. Hunt Jr.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs – Togo D. West Jr.*
White House Chief of Staff – Ron Klain*
National Security Advisor – Leon Feurth
Homeland Security Advisor - 2002 - 2005 - Ash Carter
Director of the Office of Management and Budget – Erskine Bowles*
- 2003 – 2005 – Jack Lew
Solicitor General – Barbara Underwood
Ambassador to the United Nations – Wendy Sherman
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency - Edward D. Baca
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Jim Johnson
Director of Central Intelligence – George Tenet*
- 2003 – 2005 – Jami Miscik
Director of Environmental Protection Agency – Katie McGinty
Director of National Drug Control Policy – Richard Carmona
Trade Representative – Charlene Barshefsky*
Chairman of the Federal Reserve – Roger Ferguson*
*continuing role
With an increasingly diverse party, Gore wanted his Cabinet to reflect America and the Democratic Party. Some critics called it crass identity politics.
Vice President Sam Nunn, appointed by Gore as one of the few acceptable choices to the Republican Senate, had no desire to run for reelection in 2000. Senator Feinstein had been selected as his running mate to balance the ticket against Republican nominee Elizabeth Dole, the first female candidate from a major party. A woman on the ticket also helped after the fallout from Clinton's resignation. She would also be the first Jewish Vice President.
Democrats had a slim Senate majority after the 2000 election, but only the most extreme Republican Senators had suggested filibustering the President's Cabinet nominees if they were qualified.
Former Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall had one of the more intense nomination battles, with the hearings mostly re-litigating the Kelly Flinn scandal. But Widnall was eventually confirmed as the first Secretary of Defense. Barbara Underwood, who had been in the role as an acting position, was officially appointed as the first female Solicitor General. After George Tenet resigned in 2003, Deputy Director Jami Miscik was appointed as the first female CIA Director. UN Ambassador Wendy Sherman would become a visible figure of Gore's international policy agenda, being a critical voice for the North Korean nuclear deal and Iraqi containment. With Elizabeth Moler continuing at Energy and Katie McGinty at EPA, Gore's aggressive climate agenda would also be spearheaded by two women.
The Gore Cabinet had other representative firsts as well. America's two "top cops" were Eric Holder as the first African-American Attorney General and Jim Johnson as the first African-American FBI Director. Director of the National Park Service Robert Stanton was the first African-American Interior Secretary. Former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice would take over HUD, replacing now Senator Cuomo. Togo West would continue to serve in his role as VA Secretary. Roger Ferguson continued to serve as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. When Secretary Widnall resigned in 2003, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Colin Powell was tapped by Gore to lead the Defense Department in its review of and process to discontinue "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
John Kitzhaber would serve as the first Jewish Agriculture Secretary. Fred Hochberg was the first openly gay Cabinet-level member, as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Nancy-Ann Min DeParle was the first Asian-American member of the Cabinet and Albuquerque mayor Martin Chávez was the first Commerce Secretary of Hispanic descent. Hispanics were also represented by sheriff and physician Richard Carmona as Director of National Drug Control Policy and former Chief of the National Guard Bureau Edward D. Baca as FEMA Director.
2001 - 2005
President – Al Gore
Vice President – Dianne Feinstein
Secretary of State – Richard Holbrooke
Secretary of the Treasury – Larry Summers*
- 2003 – 2005 – Erskine Bowles
Secretary of Defense – Sheila Widnall
- 2003 – 2005 - Colin Powell
Attorney General – Eric Holder*
Secretary of the Interior – Robert Stanton
Secretary of Agriculture – John Kitzhaber
Secretary of Commerce – Martin Chávez
Secretary of Labor – Ron Klink
Secretary of Health and Human Services – Nancy-Ann Min DeParle
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development – Norm Rice
Secretary of Transportation – Parris Glendening
Secretary of Energy – Elizabeth Moler*
Secretary of Education – James B. Hunt Jr.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs – Togo D. West Jr.*
White House Chief of Staff – Ron Klain*
National Security Advisor – Leon Feurth
Homeland Security Advisor - 2002 - 2005 - Ash Carter
Director of the Office of Management and Budget – Erskine Bowles*
- 2003 – 2005 – Jack Lew
Solicitor General – Barbara Underwood
Ambassador to the United Nations – Wendy Sherman
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency - Edward D. Baca
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Jim Johnson
Director of Central Intelligence – George Tenet*
- 2003 – 2005 – Jami Miscik
Director of Environmental Protection Agency – Katie McGinty
Director of National Drug Control Policy – Richard Carmona
Trade Representative – Charlene Barshefsky*
Chairman of the Federal Reserve – Roger Ferguson*
*continuing role
