Three-month and six-month Treasury bills are auctioned by which entity?

The correct entity responsible for auctioning three-month and six-month Treasury bills is the Treasury Department. Also known as the U.S. Department of the Treasury, this agency handles the issuance of government debt instruments, including Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. Treasury bills, particularly those with maturities of three and six months, are short-term debt securities that the government sells to finance its operations and manage liquidity needs.

The Federal Reserve Board does have a crucial role in the broader monetary policy and financial system, including the purchase and sale of Treasury securities in the open market to influence interest rates and control the money supply, but it does not conduct the auctions for issuing new Treasury bills. The other entities listed – the SEC and the Internal Revenue Service – have entirely different responsibilities, with the SEC overseeing securities markets and protecting investors, and the IRS managing federal revenue, primarily through tax collection.