United States Deputy Secretary of State
Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America | |
---|---|
![]() Seal of the Department of State | |
![]() Flag of the Deputy Secretary of State | |
since December 21, 2019 | |
Department of State | |
Reports to | The United States Secretary of State |
Seat | Washington, D.C. |
Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
Term length | No fixed term |
Formation | July 13, 1972 |
First holder | John N. Irwin II |
Salary | Executive Schedule, Level 2 |
Website | Official website |
The Deputy Secretary of State of the United States is the principal deputy to the Secretary of State.[1] If the Secretary of State resigns or dies, the Deputy Secretary of State becomes Acting Secretary of State until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a replacement. The position was created in 1972. Prior to July 13, 1972, the Under Secretary of State had been the second ranking officer of the Department of State. The position is currently held by Stephen Biegun.
The State Department is the only federal Cabinet-level agency with two co-equal Deputy Secretaries. See Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. This Deputy Secretary of State office is the "first assistant" for the purposes of the Vacancies Reform Act, but both Deputy Secretaries have full delegated authority to act for the Secretary, if not otherwise prohibited by law.
List of Deputy Secretaries of State
# | Portrait | Name | Term began | Term ended | President(s) served under |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
John N. Irwin II | July 13, 1972 | February 1, 1973 | Richard Nixon |
2 | ![]() |
Kenneth Rush | February 2, 1973 | May 29, 1974 | |
3 | ![]() |
Robert S. Ingersoll | July 10, 1974 | March 31, 1976 | |
Gerald Ford | |||||
4 | Charles W. Robinson | April 9, 1976 | January 20, 1977 | ||
5 | ![]() |
Warren Christopher | February 26, 1977 | January 16, 1981 | Jimmy Carter |
6 | ![]() |
William P. Clark | February 25, 1981 | February 9, 1982 | Ronald Reagan |
7 | ![]() |
Walter J. Stoessel | February 11, 1982 | September 22, 1982 | |
8 | ![]() |
Kenneth W. Dam | September 23, 1982 | June 15, 1985 | |
9 | ![]() |
John C. Whitehead | July 9, 1985 | January 20, 1989 | |
10 | ![]() |
Lawrence Eagleburger | January 20, 1989 | December 8, 1992 | George H. W. Bush |
11 | Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. | January 27, 1993 | November 8, 1993 | Bill Clinton | |
12 | ![]() |
Strobe Talbott | February 22, 1994 | January 19, 2001 | |
13 | ![]() |
Richard Armitage | March 26, 2001 | February 22, 2005 | George W. Bush |
14 | ![]() |
Robert Zoellick | February 22, 2005 | July 7, 2006 | |
15 | ![]() |
John Negroponte | February 13, 2007 | January 28, 2009 | |
16 | ![]() |
Jim Steinberg | January 28, 2009 | July 28, 2011 | Barack Obama |
17 | ![]() |
William J. Burns | July 28, 2011 | November 3, 2014 | |
– | ![]() |
Wendy R. Sherman Acting |
November 3, 2014 | January 9, 2015 | |
18 | ![]() |
Tony Blinken | January 9, 2015 | January 20, 2017 | |
– | ![]() |
Tom Shannon Acting |
February 1, 2017 | May 24, 2017 | Donald Trump |
19 | ![]() |
John Sullivan | May 24, 2017 | December 20, 2019 | |
20 | ![]() |
Stephen Biegun | December 21, 2019 | Incumbent |
References
- ^ "1 FAM 030 Office of the Deputy Secretary of State (D)". U.S. Department of State. April 9, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2017.