United States Secretary of the Treasury

The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters pertaining to economic and fiscal policy. The secretary is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States, and is fifth in the presidential line of succession.

Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, and, following a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance, is confirmed by the United States Senate.

The secretary of state, the secretary of the treasury, the secretary of defense, and the attorney general are generally regarded as the four most important Cabinet officials, due to the size and importance of their respective departments.

The current secretary of the treasury is Janet Yellen, who is the first woman to hold the post.

Powers and functions
The secretary along with the treasurer of the United States must sign Federal Reserve notes before they can become legal tender.

Secretaries of the Treasury
On September 15, 1789, before Jefferson could return to take the post, Washington signed into law another act which changed the name of the office from Secretary of Foreign Affairs to Secretary of State, changed the name of the department to the Department of State, and added several domestic powers and responsibilities to both the office of secretary and the department. Thomas Jefferson took office as the first Secretary of State on March 22, 1790.

Living former secretaries of state
As of 1861, there is one living former secretary of state, Edward Everett (1841-1845). The most recent death of a former secretary of state was that of Philip Hamilton (1826–1833) on January 30, 1855. The living former secretaries of state, in order of service, are: