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

ROSEBUD, South Dakota — President Joe Biden on Tuesday introduced his intention to nominate Mohegan Indian Tribe Lifetime Chief Marilynn Malerba as U.S. treasurer, marking the first time a Native American’s signature will seem on U.S. foreign money.

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 Office of Tribal and Native Affairs, which can report back to the treasurer and administer tribal relations.

Malerba’s appointment by Biden additionally will enable Yellen’s signature to be added to the U.S. foreign money, as this was prohibited with no U.S. treasurer in place. Dollar notes have been printed since Yellen took workplace final 12 months with former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin’s signature on them.

The appointment helps cut 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 grow to be Small Business Administrator within the Trump administration. The treasurer immediately 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 Senate.

“With this announcement, we are making an even deeper commitment to Indian Country,” Yellen stated in ready remarks to be delivered on the Rosebud Sioux reservation. “Chief Malerba will expand our unique relationship with Tribal nations, continuing our joint efforts to support the development of Tribal economies and economic opportunities for Tribal citizens.”

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 Health and Human Services, in response to the Mohegan website.

The Treasury stated 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 support to tribal governments.

Yellen’s go to to the Rosebud Sioux reservation marks the first time {that a} Treasury secretary has visited a tribal nation — division officers stated they might 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 inexpensive housing tasks.

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