Bureau of the Public Debt

Bureau of the Public Debt
Agency overview
Formed1940[1]
Preceding agency
  • Public Debt Service
DissolvedOctober 7, 2012 (2012-10-07)
Superseding agency
JurisdictionU.S. Federal Government
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
Employees1,950 (2009)
Agency executive
  • Van Zeck, Commissioner of the Public Debt
Parent agencyDepartment of the Treasury
Websitewww.treasurydirect.gov www.publicdebt.treas.gov

The Bureau of the Public Debt was an agency within the Fiscal Service of the United States Department of the Treasury. United States Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner issued a directive that the Bureau be combined with the Financial Management Service to form the Bureau of the Fiscal Service in 2012.

Under authority derived from Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, the Bureau of Public Debt was responsible for borrowing the money needed to operate the federal government, and is where donations to reduce the debt were made. It also accounted for the resulting debt and more recently, provides administrative and IT services to federal agencies. Principal operations were conducted in Washington, D.C. and Parkersburg, West Virginia. Additionally, Federal Reserve Banks, acting as Treasury's fiscal agents, operate critical systems in support of Public Debt Programs and perform a variety of processing and customer service functions in marketable and savings securities.

The Bureau also provides reimbursable administrative and information technology services to other government agencies through the Administrative Resource Center (ARC). Public Debt fulfills its mission through five different programs: Wholesale Securities Services, Government Agency Investment Services, Retail Securities Services, Summary Debt Accounting, and Franchise Services.

  1. ^ "Records of the Bureau of the Public Debt". August 15, 2016.

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