United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce

The Deputy Secretary of Commerce is a high ranking position within the United States Department of Commerce. It was created on December 13, 1979 when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and nominated Luther H. Hodges, Jr., who then currently held the title of Under Secretary of Commerce. The Deputy Secretary serves as the Department’s chief operating officer, with responsibility for the day-to-day management of its approximately $6.5 billion budget, 13 operating units, and 38,000 employees. In that capacity, the Deputy Secretary is also a member of the President’s Management Council.

The Deputy Secretary serves as the principal deputy of the Secretary of Commerce in all matters affecting the Department and performs continuing and special duties as the Secretary may assign including, as may be specified by the Secretary, the exercise of policy direction and general supervision over operating units not placed under other Secretarial Officers or other Department officials. In addition, the Deputy Secretary acts as Secretary if the Secretary has died, resigned, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Secretary. Rebecca M. Blank has been the Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce since November 18, 2010. She replaced Dennis F. Hightower, who was Deputy Secretary of Commerce from August 2009 to August 2010.

List of Deputy Secretaries of Commerce

Name	Term
Sidney Harman	1977–1980
Luther H. Hodges, Jr.	1980–1981
Joseph F. Wright	1981–1982
Guy W. Fiske	1982–1983
Clarence J. Brown, Jr.	1983–1988
Donna F. Tuttle	1988–1989
Thomas J. Murrin	1989–1991
Rockwell A. Schnabel	1991–1993
John A. Rollwagen	1993–1997
Robert L. Mallett	1997–2001
Samuel W. Bodman	2001–2003
Theodore W. Kassinger	2004–2005
David A. Sampson	2005–2007
John J. Sullivan	2008–2009
Dennis F. Hightower	2009–2010
Rebecca Blank	2010–present

External links

• The official biography of Sampson, the former Deputy Secretary
• The mission and organization of the Department of Commerce, in which the Deputy Secretary's functions and duties are listed
• Executive order on the line of succession for the Secretary of Commerce