Editing Ed Derwinski (section)

==Executive career==
A [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[redistricting]] plan after the [[United States Census, 1980|1980 Census]] carved up the 4th District, with only about 15% of its territory being retained and added to various territory from other districts; Derwinski and fellow Republican congressman [[George M. O'Brien]] were placed in the same district, and O'Brien won the [[United States House elections, 1982|1982]] primary on the strength of having more of his previous district included in the new configuration. After Derwinski's loss, President [[Ronald Reagan]] appointed him Counselor to the [[United States Department of State|State Department]]. In 1987, Reagan appointed him [[Under Secretary of State]] for Security Assistance, Science and Technology, where he served until the end of Reagan's term, shortly after which he was appointed Administrator of Veterans Affairs, in charge of the Veterans Administration, which was elevated to cabinet-level status as the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1989, making Derwinski the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/edward-j-derwinski-first-secretary-of-the-department-of-veterans-affairs-dies/2012/01/18/gIQA5IlL9P_story.html|title=Edward J. Derwinski, first secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, dies|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 18, 2012}}</ref>