Handling foreign affairs and diplomacy issues of the USA. From: http://www.state.gov/secretary/96.htm These duties—the activities and responsibilities of the State Department—include the following: * Serves as the President’s principal adviser on U.S. foreign policy; * Conducts negotiations relating to U.S. foreign affairs; * Grants and issues passports to American citizens and exequaturs to foreign consuls in the United States; * Advises the President on the appointment of U.S. ambassadors, ministers, consuls, and other diplomatic representatives; * Advises the President regarding the acceptance, recall, and dismissal of the representatives of foreign governments; * Personally participates in or directs U.S. representatives to international conferences, organizations, and agencies; * Negotiates, interprets, and terminates treaties and agreements; * Ensures the protection of the U.S. Government to American citizens, property, and interests in foreign countries; * Supervises the administration of U.S. immigration laws abroad; * Provides information to American citizens regarding the political, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian conditions in foreign countries; * Informs the Congress and American citizens on the conduct of U.S. foreign relations; * Promotes beneficial economic intercourse between the United States and other countries; * Administers the Department of State; * Supervises the Foreign Service of the United States. In addition, the Secretary of State retains domestic responsibilities that Congress entrusted to the State Department in 1789. These include the custody of the Great Seal of the United States, the preparation of certain presidential proclamations, the publication of treaties and international acts as well as the official record of the foreign relations of the United States, and the custody of certain original treaties and international agreements. The Secretary also serves as the channel of communication between the Federal Government and the States on the extradition of fugitives to or from foreign countries.

What it is currently...travel around the world making speeches and engaging in multiple photo ops! :(