Secretary of State of the United States of America
| Secretary of State of the United States of America | |
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Seal of the Secretary of State
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Flag of the Secretary of State
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| United States Department of State | |
| Style | Mr. Secretary |
| Member of | Cabinet, National Security Council |
| Reports to | The President |
| Seat | Washington, D.C. |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Term length | Appointed |
| Constituting instrument | 22 U.S.C. § 2651 |
| Precursor | United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs |
| Formation | July 27, 1789 |
| First holder |
John Jay (acting) Thomas Jefferson |
| Succession | Fourth |
| Deputy | John Sullivan |
| Salary | $205,700 annually (Executive Schedule I) |
| Website | www |
The Secretary of State is a senior official of the federal government of the United States of America, and as head of the U.S. Department of State, is principally concerned with foreign policy and is considered to be the U.S. government's equivalent of a Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Secretary of State is nominated by the President of the United States and, following a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is confirmed by the United States Senate. The Secretary of State, along with the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General, are generally regarded as the four most important Cabinet members because of the importance in their respective departments. Secretary of State is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level (currently $205,700).
The current Secretary of State is former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, the 69th person to hold office since its creation in 1789.
The stated duties of the Secretary of State are as follows:
The original duties of the Secretary of State include some domestic duties such as:
Most of the domestic functions of the Department of State have been transferred to other agencies. Those that remain include storage and use of the Great Seal of the United States, performance of functions for the White House, and the drafting of certain proclamations. The Secretary also negotiates with the individual States over the extradition of fugitives to foreign countries. Under Federal Law, the resignation of a President or of a Vice President is only valid if declared in writing, in an instrument delivered to the office of the Secretary of State. Accordingly, the resignations of President Nixon and of Vice-President Spiro Agnew, domestic issues, were formalized in instruments delivered to the Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.
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Wikipedia