US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi announced his resignation Wednesday, becoming the ninth of 15 Cabinet members to step down as part of President George W. Bush's reshuffle for his second-term. (AFP file Photo)

US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi announced his resignation Wednesday, becoming the ninth of 15 Cabinet members to step down as part of President George W. Bush's reshuffle for his second-term.
"It is now time for me to move on to fresh opportunities and different challenges," Principi said in a letter to Bush. The letter was dated Nov. 16 but was released by the White House Wednesday.
The announcement came hours after White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush had asked Treasury Secretary John Snow to stay in the administration and Snow agreed.
There have been speculations that Bush might replace Snow as treasury secretary. Snow, 65, was the former chief of railroad giant CSX and became the 73rd treasury secretary of the United States in February of last year.
In the past 22 months, Snow has been a loyal foot soldier for Bush's economic policies, aggressively championing Bush's economic policies.
Two members of Bush's economic team, Commerce Secretary Donald Louis Evans and US director of National Economic Council Stephen Friedman, announced their resignation last month.