Secretary of State of the United States of America
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Flag of the Secretary of State | |
Seal of the Department of State U.S. Department of State | |
Department | U.S. Department of State |
Reports to | The President |
Appointer | The President |
Term length | No fixed term |
Formation | July 27, 1789 |
First holder | Thomas Jefferson |
Succession |
Fourth (presidential line of succession) |
Deputy | Deputy Secretary of State |
Salary | Executive Schedule, level 1 |
Website | Script error: No such module "URL". |
The Secretary of State is a senior official of the federal government of the United States of America heading the U.S. Department of State, principally concerned with foreign affairs and is considered to be the U.S. government's equivalent of a Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is a member of the President's Cabinet, the National Security Council, and is the highest-ranking appointed executive branch official both in the presidential line of succession and the order of precedence.
The Secretary of State along with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General are generally regarded as the four most important cabinet members because of the importance of their respective departments. Secretary of State is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level.
The current Secretary of State is Walter Larson.
United States presidential line of succession | ||
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Preceded by President pro tempore of the Senate |
4th in line | Succeeded by Secretary of the Treasury |
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