The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President's chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President's foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service, and U.S. Agency for International Development. On February 1, 2013, John Kerry was sworn in as the 68th Secretary of State of the United States.
Secretary Kerry (Feb. 20): "Our citizenry deserves a strong foreign policy to protect our interests in the world. ... No investment that we make that is as small as this investment puts forward such a sizeable benefit for ourselves and for our fellow citizens of the world." Full Text»
On February 15, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah hosted Secretary Kerry for his first visit with USAID staff. Secretary Kerry's Remarks»
Secretary Kerry (Feb. 14): "We're grateful for the leadership that is exhibited by the Secretary General, and I am committed on behalf of President Obama to make certain that we strengthen our relationship with the UN even further in the years ahead." Full Text»