22 January 2009
The Cabinet
State
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Confirmed January 21
Senator Hillary Clinton was selected by President-elect Barack Obama to be the 67th secretary of state on December 1, 2008. Clinton was a senator from New York from 2001 to January 2009 and previously was first lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Prior to public service, she worked as a lawyer and with her husband, Bill Clinton, in his campaigns for president and governor of Arkansas.
For more information, see “President-elect Obama Selects National Security Team.”
Her confirmation hearing was held January 13. See “Hillary Clinton Seeks to Renew U.S. Leadership Through Diplomacy.”
On January 22, a day after being confirmed, she spoke to State Department employees. See her remarks.
The Department of State, established 1789
Mission: Advance freedom for the benefit of the American people and the international community by helping to build and sustain a more democratic, secure and prosperous world composed of well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, reduce widespread poverty and act responsibly within the international system.
Staff: 28,053 employees: 11,467 foreign service officers, 7,802 foreign service nationals, 8,784 civil service employees
Duties: The department is responsible for any and all foreign affairs activities. The secretary of state serves as the president’s chief foreign policy adviser. The department represents U.S. interests in the international community, operates foreign assistance programs, fights international crime, provides foreign military training programs and provides services for American citizens abroad.
History: Established by an act of Congress in 1789, the department is the lead institution for American diplomacy. Six secretaries of state — Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren and James Buchanan — went on to serve as U.S. president.
International engagement: Represents American interests abroad in 260 embassies, consulates and other posts in 188 countries
Fun fact: The U.S. Legation building in Tangier, Morocco, is the oldest diplomatic property owned by the United States. It was a gift from the sultan of Morocco in 1821.
More information: http://www.state.gov
