Executive Order 13734-Amending Executive Order 13675 To Expand Membership on the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa
Issued 2016-08-03 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
President Obama signed this executive order in August 2016 to expand the membership of an existing advisory group called the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa. The council was originally created in 2014 to help strengthen commercial relationships between the United States and African countries by bringing in private sector advice on trade and investment issues. This order specifically increases the maximum number of private sector members allowed on the council from 15 to 26.
The expanded council affects American companies that do business in Africa or are considering investing there, as well as U.S. government initiatives focused on the Africa region. Since the council was established in November 2014, it has been providing recommendations on various commercial engagement issues between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The President stated that the expansion allows for broader representation of different private sector viewpoints and experiences, given the range of U.S. government activities aimed at promoting commercial relationships with Africa and the diversity of American business engagement in the region. The order is meant to support the goal of promoting economic growth and job creation in both the United States and Africa by encouraging U.S. companies to trade with and invest in African countries.
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Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
Executive Order 13734 addresses "Executive Order 13734-Amending Executive Order 13675 To Expand Membership on the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa". The President's stated reasoning: "promote broad-based economic growth and job creation in the United States and Africa by encouraging U." Executive orders are a long-established exercise of presidential power, used by every President since George Washington. They are grounded in Article II of the Constitution, which vests executive power in the President and directs them to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
Executive orders cannot create new law, contradict existing federal statutes, or exceed the President's constitutional authority. The legitimacy of any specific order depends on whether it operates within statutory authority Congress has delegated, directs the executive branch on matters within its constitutional purview, or attempts to substitute executive policy for legislative choices. Courts can and do review executive orders for conformity with the Constitution and federal law.
Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2016 Executive Order 13734—Amending Executive Order 13675 To Expand Membership on the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa August 3, 2016 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote broad-based economic growth and job creation in the United States and Africa by encouraging U.S. companies to trade with and invest in Africa, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. Recognizing the tremendous potential of expanding the U.S.-Africa commercial relationship, the United States in 2014 launched the Trade Africa Initiative, a partnership between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa, and created a U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa outlining a comprehensive U.S. policy for the region, among other activities. Ensuring that such initiatives and activities reflect the priorities of, and benefit from the support of, the private sector is critical to their success. For that reason, in Executive Order 13675 of August 5, 2014, I directed the Secretary of Commerce to establish the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (Council). Since its establishment in November 2014, the Council has been actively engaged in advising on strength