Research
Executive Order: National Defense Resources Preparedness
Barack Obama signed another Executive Order on March 16th, 2012 called the National Defense Resources Preparedness.
Here is the link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/16/executive-order-national-defense-resources-preparedness?reposting-because-it-went-completely-unnoticed
The policies in this Executive Order are very nearly the same as those established by FDR, with the consent of Congress, at the start of WW II. Every President, with the consent of Congress, has reaffirmed those policies ever since. That being that the government has the power to take over all manufacturing and natural resources, in the case of national emergency, in the name of National Security.
Former Presidents have updated and signed this Executive Order into law. This Executive Order refers to revoking and or replacing content from the November 18th, 1988 version signed by Ronald Reagan and the entire June 3rd, 1994 version signed by Bill Clinton.
Links to Ronald Reagan’s version: http://www.disastercenter.com/laworder/12656.htm and to Bill Clinton’s version: http://www.disastercenter.com/laworder/12919.htm
Here is what has been revoked from Ronald Reagan’s version: in RED and BLUE
Sec. 401. Lead Responsibilities.
In addition to the applicable responsibilities covered in Parts 1 and 2, the Secretary of Commerce shall:
(1) Develop control systems for priorities, allocation, production, and distribution of materials and other resources that will be available to support both national defense and essential civilian programs in a national security emergency;
(2) In cooperation with the Secretary of Defense and other departments and agencies, identify those industrial products and facilities that are essential to mobilization readiness, national defense, or post-attack survival and recovery;
(3) In cooperation with the Secretary of Defense and other Federal departments and agencies, analyze potential effects of national security emergencies on actual production capability, taking into account the entire production complex, including shortages of resources, and develop preparedness measures to strengthen capabilities for production increases in national security emergencies;
(4) In cooperation with the Secretary of Defense, perform industry analyses to assess capabilities of the commercial industrial base to support the national defense, and develop policy alternatives to improve the international competitiveness of specific domestic industries and their abilities to meet defense program needs;
(5) In cooperation with the Secretary of the Treasury, develop plans for providing emergency assistance to the private sector through direct or participation loans for the financing of production facilities and equipment;
(6) In cooperation with the Secretaries of State, Defense, Transportation, and the Treasury, prepare plans to regulate and control exports and imports in national security emergencies;
(7) Provide for the collection and reporting of census information on human and economic resources, and maintain a capability to conduct emergency surveys to provide information on the status of these resources as required for national security emergencies;
(8) Develop overall plans and programs to ensure that the fishing industry continues to produce and process essential protein in national security emergencies;
(9) Develop plans to provide meteorological, hydrologic, marine weather, geodetic, hydrographic, climatic, seismic, and oceanographic data and services to Federal, State, and local agencies, as appropriate;
(10) In coordination with the Secretary of State and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, represent the United States in industry-related international (NATO and allied) civil emergency preparedness planning and related activities.
Here is Obama’s version:
2012 Executive Order 12656 by Obama
PART IV - VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Sec. 401. Delegations. The authority of the President under sections 708(c) and (d) of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2158(c), (d), is delegated to the heads of agencies otherwise delegated authority under this order. The status of the use of such delegations shall be furnished to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Sec. 803. Authority. (a) Executive Order 12919 of June 3, 1994, and sections 401(3) (4) of Executive Order 12656 of November 18, 1988, are revoked. All other previously issued orders, regulations, rulings, certificates, directives, and other actions relating to any function affected by this order shall remain in effect except as they are inconsistent with this order or are subsequently amended or revoked under proper authority. Nothing in this order shall affect the validity or force of anything done under previous delegations or other assignment of authority under the Act.
The truth is it simply switches Secretary of Commerce to Homeland Security. This Executive Order is an update from the previous one to reflect the new agencies that did not exist before, such as Homeland Security. It also outlines the new command relationships.
The revocation of items 3 & 4 of Sec. 401, allows the Department of Homeland Security to pick what companies supply what and to whom, as opposed to their choosing being done by the Secretary of Defense under strict procurement guidelines with Congressional oversight already in place.
This Executive Order does not give Obama any new powers. He already has the power to declare a national emergency to do all of the above. The danger is not the Executive Order, it is Obama and why did he sign it now?
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