White House Office Explained

Agency Name:White House Office
Seal:US-WhiteHouse-Logo.svg
Headquarters:West Wing of the White House
Employees:377
Chief1 Name:Jeff Zients
Chief1 Position:White House Chief of Staff
Parent Agency:Executive Office of the President of the United States
Website:White House Office

The White House Office is an entity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The White House Office is headed by the White House chief of staff, who is also the head of the Executive Office of the President.[1] The staff work for and report directly to the president, including West Wing staff and the president's senior advisers. Almost all of the White House Office staff are political appointees of the president, do not require Senate confirmation and can be dismissed at the discretion of the president.

The staff of the various offices are based in the West Wing and East Wing of the White House, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, and the New Executive Office Building. Senior staff, with high level, close contact with 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.[2] These aides oversee the political and policy interests of the president.

History

The White House Office was established in the Executive Office of the President by Reorganization Plan 1 of 1939 and to provide assistance to the president in the performance of activities incident to his immediate office.[3] The White House Office is organized in accordance with the wishes of each incumbent president and is directed by staff chosen by the president. A staff authorization was initially established in 1978 (92 Stat. 2445). Some presidential boards, committees, and commissions function organizationally as subunits of the White House Office.[4]

Although still a subunit of the EOP, the White House Office remains the center of the presidential staff system. In many ways it is closest to the president both in physical proximity, its top aides occupy most of the offices in the West Wing, and in its impact on the day-to-day operations, deliberations, policy agendas, and public communications of a presidency. During the transition to office and continuing throughout an administration, the president enjoys a great deal of discretion in terms of how the White House Office is organized.

Mission

The issues that confront the United States at any one time cannot be dealt with by the president alone, and therefore the president draws on the expertise of others in the administration and even within an administration as one chief of staff may differ from a predecessor or successor.

While chiefs of staff may differ in the degree of policy advice they provide a president, they are the managers of the White House staff system. At least in theory, they are the coordinators bringing the pieces together; they are the tone-setters and disciplinarians making for good organizational order, and often act as the gatekeeper for the president, overseeing every person, document and communication that goes to the president.

Organization

The White House Office under the administration of Joseph Biden as of is as follows.

Office of the Chief of Staff

Senior Advisors and Counselor to the President

Office of Domestic Climate Policy

Office of Gun Violence Prevention

Office of Cabinet Affairs

Office of Communications

Office of Speechwriting

Office of Legislative Affairs

Office of Management and Administration

Office of the National Security Advisor

Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy[16]

Office of Political Strategy and Outreach

Office of Scheduling and Advance

Office of Records Management

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Administration of the White House . John P. Burke . Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia . June 6, 2009 . August 1, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090801100112/http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/policy/whitehouse . dead .
  2. Web site: Kumar . Martha Joynt . Assistants to the President at 18 Months: White House Turnover Among the Highest Ranking Staff and Positions . Whitehousetransitionproject.org . November 24, 2020.
  3. Web site: 2016-08-15 . Executive Orders . 2023-10-25 . National Archives . en.
  4. Web site: The Executive Office of the President: An Historical Overview . Harold C. Relyea . Congressional Research Service . March 17, 2008 . April 14, 2008.
  5. News: Natalie Quillian to serve as Biden's deputy chief of staff . . February 8, 2023 . Jeremy . Diamond . February 8, 2023 .
  6. News: President Biden Announces Key White House Personnel . White House Briefing Room . May 5, 2023. July 16, 2023.
  7. Web site: White House Senior Staff . . https://web.archive.org/web/20210120162317/https://buildbackbetter.gov/nominees-and-appointees/white-house-senior-staff/ . January 20, 2021 . January 20, 2021 . .
  8. News: Ben LaBolt, Biden communications director, promoted to senior adviser. Mike Allen. Axios. August 8, 2024.
  9. News: President Biden Announces Key Members of his Economic Team . White House Briefing Room . February 14, 2023 . February 24, 2023.
  10. News: White House plans staff moves as aides switch to Harris campaign. Monica Alba. 2024-09-30. NBC News. August 16, 2024.
  11. Web site: Office of Intergovernmental Affairs - Meet the team . The White House . 2022-09-26.
  12. Web site: 2023-07-24 . Biden chooses a longtime Hill aide respected by Republicans as his new legislative affairs director . 2023-07-24 . AP News . en.
  13. Web site: March 15, 2024 . Top Biden legislative aide is leaving the White House . September 30, 2024 . Politico.
  14. Web site: Scoop: Daleep Singh to return to White House . Axios . September 30, 2024 . February 15, 2024.
  15. Web site: The drama around a photog's firing. www.politico.com . November 17, 2023 . September 30, 2024.
  16. Web site: House . The White . 2023-07-21 . FACT SHEET: White House Launches Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy . 2023-07-22 . The White House . en-US.
  17. Web site: Inside the Books White House. Openthebooks.com.
  18. Web site: White House. 2021-07-05. Open The Books. en.
  19. Web site: Scoop: Clinton fundraiser poised to join White House . October 19, 2023 . Axios . September 30, 2024.
  20. Web site: Biden Administration hires UNC Charlotte grad, NC native . September 8, 2023 . Charlotte Observer . September 30, 2024.
  21. Web site: Look what you made (us) do . November 8, 2023 . Politico . September 30, 2024.
  22. Web site: Meet the (OPE) Team. The White House. September 30, 2024.
  23. Web site: 2021-04-14. President Biden Announces Erika L. Moritsugu as Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison. 2021-04-29. The White House. en-US.
  24. Web site: Ian Sams will leave White House and join Harris campaign. Washington Post. September 30, 2024. August 16, 2024.
  25. Web site: The drama around a photog's firing. Politico . November 17, 2023 . September 30, 2024.

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