White House Office

White House Office
Agency overview
Formed	1857; 167 years ago
Headquarters	West Wing of the White House
Employees	About 150
Agency executive	Denis McDonough, White House Chief of Staff;
Parent agency	Executive Office of the President of the United States
Website	White House Office

President Barack Obama (in the foreground, facing away) meeting April 29, 2009 with senior White House staff.
Individuals present (l–r): David Axelrod (Senior Advisor), Jim Messina (Deputy Chief of Staff), Pete Rouse (Senior Advisor), Rahm Emanuel (Chief of Staff), Robert Gibbs (Press Secretary), Phil Schiliro (Director of Legislative Affairs), Mona Sutphen (Deputy Chief of Staff), Alyssa Mastromonaco (Director of Scheduling and Advance) and Valerie Jarrett (Senior Advisor).

The White House Office is an entity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The White House Office is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, who is also the head of the Executive Office.^[1] 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. It is made up of personal assistants to the president with offices in the White House. These aides oversee the political and policy interests of the president and do not require Senate confirmation for appointment. They can be removed at the discretion of the president (Examples: National Security Adviser, special consultant to the president)

History

Established in the Executive Office of the President by Reorganization Plan 1 of 1939 and Executive Order 8248 to provide assistance to the President in the performance of his many detailed activities incident to his immediate office. 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.^[2]

Although still a subunit of the EOP, the White House Office remains the centerpiece 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.^[1]

Mission

The issues that confront the United States at any one time can not be dealt with by the President alone, and therefore he (or she) must draw on the expertise to 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 at base 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.^[1]

Organization

Office of the Chief of Staff

Assistant to the President and White House Chief of Staff: Denis McDonough
- Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations: Anita Decker Breckenridge
- Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Implementation: Kristie Canegallo
Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Engagement: Valerie Jarrett
Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor: Brian Deese
Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor: Shailagh Murray

Domestic Policy Council

Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council: Cecilia Muñoz
- Office of National AIDS Policy
- Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
- Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation
- White House Rural Council

National Economic Council

Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council: Jeffrey Zients

Office of Cabinet Affairs

Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary: Broderick D. Johnson

Office of Communications

Assistant to the President and White House Communications Director: Jen Psaki
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications: Liz Allen
Office of the Press Secretary
- Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary: Josh Earnest
Office of Speechwriting
- Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting: Cody Keenan

Office of Digital Strategy

Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief Digital Officer: Jason Goldman

Office of the First Lady

Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady: Tina Tchen
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the First Lady: Melissa Winter
- Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary: Deesha Dyer

Office of Information Technology

Special Assistant to the President and Director of White House Information Technology: David Recordon

Office of Legislative Affairs

Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs: Amy Rosenbaum
- Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs:
  - Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs and House Liaison: Alejandro Perez
  - Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs and Senate Liaison: Martin Paone

Office of Management and Administration

Assistant to the President for Management and Administration: Maju Varghese
- Deputy Assistant to the President for Management and Administration: Katherine Dickerson
  - White House Operations
  - White House Personnel
  - White House Photo Office
  - White House Visitors Office
- Office of Administration

Office of the National Security Advisor

Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor: Susan Rice
- Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor: Avril Haines
- Assistant to the President for Homeland Security And Counterterrorism and Deputy National Security Advisor: Lisa Monaco
- Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting: Ben Rhodes

Office of Political Strategy and Outreach

Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach: David Simas
- Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach: Robert Schmuck
- Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach: Joseph Paulsen

Office of Presidential Personnel

Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Personnel: Valerie Green

Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs

Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement: Valerie Jarrett^[3]
- Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs: Yohannes Abraham^[4]
- Office of Public Engagement
  - Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Public Engagement: Paulette Aniskoff
- Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
  - Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs: Jerry Abramson^[5]
- Council on Women and Girls
  - Chair of the Council on Women and Girls: Valerie Jarrett^[6]
- Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity
  - Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity: Roy Austin, Jr.

Office of Scheduling and Advance

Assistant to the President and Director of Scheduling and Advance: Chase Cushman

Office of the Staff Secretary

Deputy Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary: Joani Walsh
- Office of Presidential Correspondence
- Office of the Executive Clerk
- Office of Records Management

Office of the White House Counsel

Assistant to the President and Counsel to the President: W. Neil Eggleston
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President: Michael Bosworth
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President: Brian Egan
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President: Christopher Kang
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President: Jennifer O'Connor

Oval Office Operations

White House Fellows

Director, President's Commission on White House Fellowships: Cindy S. Moelis^[7]

White House Military Office

Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Military Office: Emmett Beliveau
- Deputy Director of the White House Military Office for Operations:
- White House Communications Agency (Joint Services Unit)
- Presidential Airlift Group (United States Air Force)
- White House Medical Unit (United States Navy)
- Deputy Assistant and Physician to the President:
- Camp David (United States Navy)
- Marine Helicopter Squadron One (United States Marine Corps)
- White House Mess or Presidential Food Service (United States Navy)
- White House Transportation Agency (United States Army)
- General Counsel

References

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v t e Executive Office of the United States President
Executive Office	Advisory Boards (Council for Community Solutions, Corporation for National and Community Service, Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, President's Intelligence Advisory Board, President's Management Advisory Board) Council of Economic Advisers Council on Environmental Quality Digital Service Executive Residence (Committee for the Preservation of the White House, Office of the Curator, Office of the Chief Usher, Office of the Chief Floral Designer, Office of the Executive Chef, Graphics and Calligraphy Office) National Space Council National Security Council (Deputies Committee) Homeland Security Council Office of Administration (Office of Mail and Messenger Operations, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer) Office of Management and Budget (Office of the Chief Performance Officer, Office of E-Government and Information Technology, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs) Office of National Drug Control Policy Office of Science and Technology Policy (Office of the Chief Technology Officer) Office of the Trade Representative Office of the Vice President (Office of the Chief of Staff) Military Office (Communications Agency, Medical Unit, Presidential Food Service, Transportation Agency)
White House Office	Office of Cabinet Affairs Office of the Chief of Staff (Office of Senior Advisors) Office of Communications (Office of Media Affairs, Office of Research, Office of the Press Secretary, Office of Speechwriting) Office of the Counselor Office of Digital Strategy Domestic Policy Council (Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Office of National AIDS Policy, Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, Rural Council) Office of the First Lady (Office of the Social Secretary) Office of the National Security Advisor (Homeland Security Advisor) Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Office of Legislative Affairs Office of Management and Administration (White House Operations, White House Personnel, Visitors Office) National Economic Council National Trade Council Oval Office Operations (Personal Secretary) Office of Political Affairs Presidential Innovation Fellows Office of Presidential Personnel Office of Public Engagement (Council on Women and Girls, Jewish Liaison, Office of Urban Affairs) Office of Scheduling and Advance Office of the Staff Secretary (Office of the Executive Clerk, Office of Presidential Correspondence, Office of Records Management) Office of the White House Counsel White House Fellows