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Secretary of the Treasury |
| United States Secretary of the Treasury | |
Official Seal |
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Incumbent: Henry Paulson since: July 10, 2006 |
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| First | Alexander Hamilton |
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| Formation | September 11, 1789 |
| Presidential succession |
Fifth |
| Website | www.treasury.gov |
The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and, until 2003, some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United States is analogous to the finance ministers of other nations. Most of the Department's law enforcement agencies such as the ATF, Customs Service, and Secret Service were reassigned to other Departments in 2003 in conjunction with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet and, since the Clinton years, has sat on the United States National Security Council. The Secretary of the Treasury is fifth in the United States presidential line of succession.
From the U.S. Department of the Treasury website:
The Secretary along with the Treasurer must sign Federal Reserve notes before they can become legal tender. The Secretary also manages the United States Emergency Economic Stabilization fund.
Note: Robert Morris was the first person appointed Secretary of the Treasury by George Washington, but Morris declined this office; thus the 1st Secretary of the Treasury was Alexander Hamilton - appointed at Morris's suggestion. Morris had held a similar position as Superintendent of Finance under the Continental Congress. From 1784 to 1789, the confederation's finances were overseen by a three-member Treasury Board. [1]
If both the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury are unable to carry out the duties of the office of Secretary of the Treasury, then whichever Treasury official of Under Secretary rank sworn in earliest assumes the role of Acting Secretary. Positions listed on the Department of the Treasury website include the Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, the Under Secretary for International Affairs, and the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. This has been the case since 2001, when President George W. Bush modified the line of succession.[2]
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