Memorandum on Creating a Preference for Meat and Poultry Produced According to Responsible Antibiotic-Use Policies
Issued 2015-06-02 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
This presidential memorandum directs federal agencies to make meat and poultry produced without routine antibiotic use available in federal cafeterias managed by the General Services Administration. The action addresses antibiotic resistance, which occurs when bacteria change so antibiotics can no longer kill them or limit their growth. According to the memorandum, this resistance threatens to return us to a time when many people died from common infections. The document states that reducing antibiotic resistance requires eliminating the practice of feeding medically important antibiotics to food-producing animals for growth promotion.
The memorandum affects federal cafeterias operated by the General Services Administration and the vendors who supply them. Under the directive, these vendors must offer meat and poultry from animals raised according to responsible antibiotic-use policies as an option in new contracts, as long as such products are available and cost effective. The General Services Administration is instructed to minimize price impact and continue making alternative food options available, and vendors must appropriately identify which meat and poultry items come from animals raised according to these policies.
This matters because the federal government is using its purchasing power to support the market for meat produced without routine antibiotic use. The General Services Administration must report annually for three years on customer demand, product supply, and market prices of these products. The action is grounded in Article II of the Constitution, which gives the President authority to direct executive branch operations, and represents a standard use of presidential memoranda to guide agency priorities within existing law.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
This presidential memorandum ("Memorandum on Creating a Preference for Meat and Poultry Produced According to Responsible Antibiotic-Use Policies") provides direction to executive branch agencies. The stated purpose: "the health of the American people, I hereby direct as follows: Section 1." Presidential memoranda function similarly to executive orders but are typically more narrow in scope, addressing specific agencies or implementation details. The President's authority to direct executive branch operations is grounded in Article II of the Constitution.
Memoranda are a routine administrative tool. They guide agencies on priorities, interpretation of statutes, and implementation procedures. As long as they operate within the bounds of existing law and respect congressional mandates, they are a standard exercise of presidential power that every modern administration has used.
Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2015 Memorandum on Creating a Preference for Meat and Poultry Produced According to Responsible Antibiotic-Use Policies June 2, 2015 Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies Subject: Creating a Preference for Meat and Poultry Produced According to Responsible Antibiotic-Use Policies Antibiotics support nearly all of modern medicine—including care for premature babies, cancer patients, and people who need surgery. Yet, overuse and misuse can reduce the effectiveness of these miracle drugs. Antibiotic resistance—when bacteria change so that they are able to grow in the presence of an antibiotic that would normally kill them or limit their growth—threatens to return us to a time when many people died from common infections, posing a serious threat to public health and the economy. Reducing antibiotic resistance will require stewardship practices in the use of antibiotics in medical and agricultural settings, including eliminating the practice of feeding medically important antibiotics to food-producing animals for growth promotion. It is the policy of the Federal Government to encourage responsible uses of medically important antibiotics in the meat and poultry supply chain by supporting the e