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 Marc Short. The Office also provides staffing and support to the Second Lady of the United States. It is primarily housed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, with offices for the Vice President also in the West Wing, the U.S. Capitol and in the Vice President's official residence.

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", 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 himself has 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