Secretary and Senior Officials
Who is the Secretary of the
Treasury, and what is his background?
What is the Secretary's
salary and how is it paid?
Can you list all of the
Secretaries, the Presidents they served
under, and when they served?
How did the title of
"Secretary" become associated with the head
of Cabinet offices?
What is the "Oath of Office"
that is taken by the Secretary of the
Treasury and other officials?
Who is the Deputy Secretary
of the Treasury, and what does he do?
Who is the Treasurer of the
United States, and what are the duties of
that job?
Can you list of all the
Treasurers, which Presidents they served
under, and when they served?
Is there a way to find out
about speeches, testimony and other official
information?
 The current Secretary
of the Treasury, Henry M. Paulson, Jr., was appointed by President George W. Bush. He was sworn in as the 74th Secretary
of the Treasury in July 2006.
The Secretary
of the Treasury is responsible for
formulating and recommending domestic and
international financial, economic, and tax
policy, participating in the formulation of
broad fiscal policies that have general
significance for the economy, and managing
the public debt. The Secretary oversees the
activities of the Treasury Department in
carrying out his major law enforcement
responsibilities; in serving as the financial
agent for the U.S. Government; and in
manufacturing coins and currency.
The chief financial officer of the
Government, the Secretary
of the Treasury serves on the President's
National Economic Council. He is also
Chairman of the Boards and Managing Trustee
of the Social Security and Medicare Trust
Funds, Chairman of the Thrift Depositor
Protection Oversight Board, and serves as
U.S. Governor of the International Monetary
Fund, the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, the
Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian
Development Bank, the African Development
Bank, and the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development.
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Currently, the Secretary
of the Treasury earns $191,300 per year.
His salary, and those of all Federal
Government employees, are paid out of the .
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Yes. Our office has an on-line
list of all Treasury Secretaries beginning with Alexander Hamilton, and ending with Henry M. Paulson, Jr., the current Secretary
of the Treasury. It shows their dates of
service and the Presidents for whom they
served, and also contains links to
biographical information.
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Surprisingly, there is very little
information about this. We have inquired with
the Library of Congress, the National
Archives and the Office of Protocol at the
Department of State, none of which could
provide any documentary evidence. However,
our research did indicate that the term
"Secretary," as in Secretary
of the Treasury, was used along with
those of President, Vice President, and
Treasurer, apparently in an effort for the
new nation to avoid the appearance of being a
monarchy as in Great Britain. It is
interesting to note, also, that corporations
have adopted the same structure, having a
President, Vice President(s), a Secretary,
and a Treasurer as the primary officers.
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The oath of office is taken by the by
all executive and judicial officers, as well as all Federal government
employees. It reads as follows:
I (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support
and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to
the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation
or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge
the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
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The current Deputy Secretary is Robert M. Kimmitt . He was nominated by President George W. Bush on June 29, 2005 and unanimously confirmed
by the Senate on July 29, 2005.
The Deputy Secretary of the Treasury advises
and assists the Secretary
of the Treasury in the supervision and
direction of the Department and its
activities, and succeeds the Secretary in his
absence, sickness, or unavailability. The
Deputy Secretary plays a primary role in the
formulation and execution of Treasury
policies and programs in all aspects of the
Department's activities.
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The current Treasurer is Anna Escobedo Cabral. She was nominated
by President George W. Bush on July 22, 2004 and confirmed
by the Senate on November 20, 2004.
The office of Treasurer of the United States is the only
Treasury office older than the Department itself. The Treasurer
was originally charged with the receipt and custody of government
funds, though many of these functions have been taken over
by different Treasury Bureaus. Responsibility for oversight
of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the United
States Mint was assigned to the Treasurer in 1981. In 1994,
the Treasurer was named National Honorary Director of the
U.S. Savings Bonds Campaign.
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Yes. Our office has a list
of all Treasurers of the United States beginning with , who
served starting in 1775, and ending with . It shows their place of birth,
dates of service, and the Presidents for whom
they served.
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The Secretary
of the Treasury, the Deputy Secretary, the Treasurer
of the United States, and many other
Treasury officials make many speeches during
the course of each year. They address public
and business groups, and also testify before
both Houses of Congress. You can read the
text of these speeches in our Briefing Room,
maintained by our Office of Public
Affairs.
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Last Updated:
July 18, 2008
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Who is
the current Secretary of the Treasury, what
is his background, and what does he do?
