Biden appoints first Native American as U.S. Treasurer, with signature on money

The U.S. Treasury constructing is seen in Washington, September 29, 2008. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photograph

ROSEBUD, South Dakota, June 21 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday introduced his intention to nominate Mohegan Indian Tribe Lifetime Chief Marilynn Malerba as U.S. Treasurer, marking the primary time a Native American’s signature will seem on U.S. forex.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who’s visiting the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota on Tuesday, additionally introduced the creation of a brand new Treasury Workplace of Tribal and Native Affairs, which can report back to the treasurer and administer tribal relations.

Malerba’s appointment by Biden additionally will permit Yellen’s signature to be added to the U.S. forex, as this was prohibited with out a U.S. treasurer in place. Greenback notes have been printed since Yellen took workplace final 12 months with former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin’s signature on them.

The appointment helps scale back an extended listing of unfilled and unconfirmed senior positions at Treasury.

The treasurer place has been vacant since January 2020, when Jovita Carranza left to change into Small Enterprise Administrator within the Trump administration. The U.S. Treasurer straight oversees the U.S. Mint, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, storage of about $270 billion value of gold at Fort Knox and is a key liaison with the Federal Reserve.

Malerba’s appointment to the place now not wants affirmation by the U.S. Senate.

“With this announcement, we’re making a fair deeper dedication to Indian Nation,” Yellen mentioned in ready remarks to be delivered on the Rosebud Sioux reservation. “Chief Malerba will broaden our distinctive relationship with Tribal nations, persevering with our joint efforts to help the event of Tribal economies and financial alternatives for Tribal residents.”

Malerba, who had a prolonged profession as a registered nurse, has been chief of the Connecticut-based Mohegan tribe since 2010 and beforehand chaired its tribal council and served as its government director of Well being and Human Companies, in line with the Mohegan website.

The Treasury mentioned Malerba will be a part of Yellen on the Rosebud Sioux reservation on Tuesday, the place Yellen will focus on the affect of some $30 billion in federal COVID-19 help to tribal governments.

Yellen’s go to to the Rosebud Sioux reservation marks the primary time {that a} Treasury secretary has visited a tribal nation – division officers mentioned they may discover no file of a previous go to.

Yellen will tour packages on the reservation which might be utilizing almost $200 million in funds final 12 months’s American Rescue Plan, together with $40 million value of reasonably priced housing tasks.

The Treasury on Tuesday additionally introduced that it has accredited the tribe’s plan to make use of greater than $160,000 to improve its broadband web infrastructure below a $10 billion broadband fund for state, native and tribal governments. learn extra

Reporting by David Lawder; Modifying by Bradley Perrett and Angus MacSwan

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