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U.S. Department of the Treasury

From Ballotpedia
Department of the Treasury
US-DeptOfTheTreasury-Seal.svg
Secretary:Scott Bessent
Year created:1789
Official website:Treasury.gov



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Executive Departments of the United States

Executive Departments
Department of StateDepartment of the TreasuryDepartment of DefenseDepartment of JusticeDepartment of the InteriorDepartment of AgricultureDepartment of CommerceDepartment of LaborDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDepartment of Housing and Urban DevelopmentDepartment of TransportationDepartment of EnergyDepartment of EducationDepartment of Veterans AffairsDepartment of Homeland Security

Department Secretaries
Marco RubioScott BessentPete HegsethPam BondiDoug BurgumBrooke RollinsLori Chavez-DeRemerRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Scott TurnerHoward LutnickSean DuffyChris WrightLinda McMahonDoug CollinsKristi Noem

TheDepartment of the Treasury is a United States executive department established in 1789. The department was originally formed as a solution to managing the finances of the federal government.[1]

The current secretary of the Treasury isScott Bessent.Click here to learn more about his confirmation process.

History

On April 1, 1776, the Treasury Office of Accounts was formed to maintain the accounts of the rebel colonies. This allowed the colonies to seek loans after the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.[1] The subsequent years saw a steep decline in the value of Continental Dollars until Robert Morris was appointed Superintendent of the Treasury in 1781. In 1789, the First Congress of the United States created the Department of the Treasury, with Alexander Hamilton becoming the first secretary of the treasury.[1]

Many departments and agencies have taken root in the Treasury Department before breaking off. The U.S. Post Office, Commerce Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Management and Budget, Department of Health and Human Services, and even the U.S. Coast Guard were in some way responsibilities of the Treasury Department early in their development. At the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, the department played a strong role in the formation of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.[1]

Mission

The mission of the Department of the Treasury is as follows:

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's mission is to maintain a strong economy and create economic and job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the U.S. Government’s finances and resources effectively.[2]
—Treasury Department[3]

Leadership

The duties of the secretary of the treasury include:[1]

  • Managing economic and fiscal policy;
  • Handling government accounting and debt management;
  • Promulgating and enforcing tax and tariff laws;
  • Assessing and collecting internal revenue;
  • Producing currency; and
  • Supervising national banks.
Recent Secretaries of the Treasury
Secretary of the TreasuryYears in officeNominated byConfirmation vote
Paul O'Neill2001-2002George W. BushVoice vote
John W. Snow2003-2006George W. BushUnanimous consent
Henry Paulson2006-2009George W. BushVoice vote
Timothy Geithner2009-2013Barack Obama60-34
Jack Lew2013-2017Barack Obama71-26
Steven Mnuchin2017-2021Donald Trump53-47
Janet Yellen2021-2025Joe Biden84-15
David Lebryk2025-2025Donald Trump-
Scott Bessent2025-presentDonald Trump68-29


Historical Secretaries of the Treasury
Secretary of the TreasuryYears in officeNominated byConfirmation vote
Alexander Hamilton1789-1795George Washington (U.S. president)N/A
Oliver Wolcott, Jr.1795-1800John AdamsN/A
Samuel Dexter1801Thomas JeffersonN/A
Albert Gallatin1801-1814James MadisonN/A
George W. Campbell1814James MadisonN/A
Alexander J. Dallas1814-1816James MadisonN/A
William H. Crawford1816-1825James MonroeN/A
Richard RushJohn Quincy AdamsN/A
Samuel D. Ingham1829-1831Andrew JacksonN/A
Louis McLane1831-1833Andrew JacksonN/A
William J. Duane1833Andrew JacksonRecess appointment
Roger B. Taney1833-1834Andrew JacksonRecess appointment
Levi Woodbury1834-1841Martin Van BurenN/A
Thomas Ewing1841William Henry HarrisonN/A
Walter Forward1841-1843John TylerN/A
John C. Spencer1843-1844John Tyler22-20
George M. Bibb1844-1845John TylerN/A
Robert J. Walker1845-1849James K. PolkN/A
William M. Meredith1849-1950Zachary TaylorN/A
Thomas Corwin1850-1853Millard FillmoreN/A
James Guthrie1853-1857Franklin PierceN/A
Howell Cobb1857-1860James BuchananN/A
Philip Thomas1860-1861James BuchananN/A
John A. Dix1861James BuchananN/A
Salmon P. Chase1861-1864Abraham LincolnN/A
William P. Fessenden1864-1865Abraham LincolnN/A
Hugh McCulloch1865-1869Andrew JohnsonN/A
George S. Boutwell1869-1873Ulysses S. GrantN/A
William A. Richardson1873-1874Ulysses S. GrantN/A
Benjamin Bristow1874-1876Ulysses S. GrantN/A
Lot M. Morill1876-1877Ulysses S. GrantN/A
John Sherman1877-1881Rutherford B. Hayes37-11
William Windom1881James A. GarfieldN/A
Charles J. Folger1881-1884Chester A. ArthurN/A
Walter Q. Gresham1884Chester A. ArthurN/A
Hugh McCulloch1884-1885Chester A. Arthur50-1
Daniel Manning1885-1887Grover ClevelandN/A
Charles S. Fairchild1887-1889Grover ClevelandN/A
William Windom1889-1891Benjamin HarrisonN/A
Charles Foster1891-1893Benjamin HarrisonN/A
John G. Carlisle1893-1897Grover ClevelandN/A
Lyman J. Gage1897-1902William McKinleyN/A
L. M. Shaw1902-1907Theodore RooseveltN/A
George B. Cortelyou1907-1909Theodore RooseveltN/A
Franklin MacVeagh1909-1913William Howard TaftN/A
William Gibbs McAdoo1913-1918Woodrow WilsonN/A
Carter Glass1918-1920Woodrow WilsonN/A
David F. Houston1921-1922Woodrow Wilson68-1
Andrew W. Mellon1921-1932Warren HardingN/A
Ogden L. Mills1932-1933Herbert HooverN/A
William H Woodin1933Franklin D. RooseveltN/A
Henry Morgenthau, Jr.1934-1945Franklin D. RooseveltN/A
Fred M. Vinson1945-1946Harry S. TrumanN/A
John W. Snyder1946-1953Harry S. TrumanN/A
George M. Humphrey1953-1957Dwight D. EisenhowerN/A
Robert B. Anderson1957-1961Dwight D. EisenhowerN/A
C. Douglas Dillon1961-1965John F. KennedyN/A
Henry H. Fowler1965-1968Lyndon JohnsonN/A
Joseph W. Barr1968-1969Lyndon JohnsonN/A
David M. Kennedy1969-1971Richard NixonN/A
John Connally1971-1972Richard NixonN/A
George P. Shultz1972-1974Richard Nixon83-0
William E. Simon1974-1977Gerald FordN/A
W. Michael Blumenthal1977-1979Jimmy CarterN/A
G. William Miller1979-1981Jimmy Carter97-1
Donald Regan1981-1985Ronald Reagan98-0
James Baker1985-1988Ronald Reagan95-0
Nicholas F. Brady1988-1993George H.W. Bush92-2
Lloyd Bentsen1993-1994Bill ClintonN/A
Robert Rubin1995-1999Bill Clinton99-0
Lawrence Summers1999-2001Bill Clinton97-2

Note: Votes marked "N/A" represent voice votes or unrecorded votes.

Organization

Administrative State
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Read more about theadministrative state on Ballotpedia.

Click here to view the Treasury's organizational chart.

Office of the Secretary of the Treasury

The secretary is charged with advising the president on economic and fiscal policy. The secretary also serves as the chief financial officer of the federal government as well as overseeing the Treasury Department. The head of the Department is also responsible for representing the U.S. in international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and regional development banks.[1]

Office of the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

The deputy secretary assists the secretary in running the department and is responsible for leading the department in the absence of the secretary.[1]

Office of the Treasurer of the United States

The treasurer of the United States must receive, hold and disburse government funds. The treasurer's signature is present on all U.S. paper money along with the secretary's signature.[1]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsUnited States Department of Treasury. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

External links

Footnotes

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