[1] An Act of Congress first authorized an Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs on August 1, 1946, for a 2-year period as the third-ranking officer in the department.

On June 30, 1958, Congress re-established the position of Under Secretary for Economic Affairs in the Mutual Security Act.

On May 12, 1994, the title was changed to Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs.

[citation needed][2] As of 2019, the E is also charged with advancing the State Department's economic development agenda; elevating and intensifying the department's efforts related to energy security, clean energy, and environmental sustainability; and fostering innovation through robust science, entrepreneurship, and technology policies.

The E covers issues that reach from the vastness of space, through the Office of Space Affairs, to the depths of the oceans with the goal of advancing U.S. strategic interests through policy aimed at ensuring that economic growth and a healthy planet go hand in hand.