United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce

The deputy secretary of commerce is a high-ranking position within the U.S. 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 $11.4 billion budget, 13 operating units, and 46,000 employees. In that capacity, the deputy secretary is also a member of the President’s Management Council. The current deputy secretary is Don Graves, who was sworn in on May 14, 2021.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce of the United States of America
Seal of the Department of Commerce
Flag of the Deputy Secretary of Commerce
Incumbent
Don Graves
since May 14, 2021
United States Department of Commerce
Member ofU.S. Department of Commerce
Reports toUnited States Secretary of Commerce
SeatWashington, D.C., U.S.
AppointerThe President of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
FormationJanuary 26, 1977
First holderSidney Harman
Websitewww.Commerce.gov

History

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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 was the deputy secretary of commerce until she stepped down on May 31, 2013. She was confirmed by unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate in March 2012. She had been serving as acting deputy secretary since November 18, 2010.[1] She replaced Dennis F. Hightower, who was deputy secretary of commerce from August 2009 to August 2010.[2]

Patrick D. Gallagher was appointed acting deputy secretary on June 1, 2013.[3] Bruce H. Andrews was confirmed as the next deputy secretary on July 24, 2014.

List of deputy secretaries of commerce

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# Image Name Term began Term ended President(s) served under
1 Sidney Harman January 26, 1977 August 28, 1980 Jimmy Carter
2   Luther H. Hodges Jr. September 8, 1980 January 20, 1981
3   Joseph Robert Wright Jr. January 29, 1981 August 23, 1982 Ronald Reagan
4   Guy W. Fiske August 24, 1982 May 20, 1983
5   Bud Brown May 20, 1983 July 12, 1988
6   Donna F. Tuttle July 12, 1988 January 20, 1989
7   Thomas J. Murrin February 11, 1989 April 17, 1991 George H. W. Bush
8   Rockwell A. Schnabel April 25, 1991 January 20, 1993
9   David J. Barram January 27, 1993 May 14, 1996 Bill Clinton
10   Robert L. Mallett May 14, 1997 January 20, 2001
11   Samuel Bodman January 22, 2001 July 16, 2004 George W. Bush
12   Theodore Kassinger August 20, 2004 July 21, 2005
13   David A. Sampson July 25, 2005 August 30, 2007
14   John J. Sullivan September 1, 2007 March 14, 2008
March 14, 2008 January 20, 2009
15   Dennis Hightower August 11, 2009 August 27, 2010 Barack Obama
16   Rebecca Blank November 28, 2010 March 29, 2012
March 29, 2012 June 1, 2013
  Patrick D. Gallagher
Acting
June 1, 2013 July 24, 2014
17   Bruce H. Andrews July 24, 2014 January 20, 2017
18   Karen Dunn Kelley September 22, 2017 November 28, 2018 Donald Trump
November 28, 2018 January 20, 2021
  Wynn Coggins
Acting
March 3, 2021 May 14, 2021 Joe Biden
19   Don Graves May 14, 2021 Incumbent

References

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  1. ^ "Rebecca M. Blank, Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce". United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  2. ^ "Dennis F. Hightower Confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Commerce". United States Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  3. ^ "Leadership".
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