Proclamation 10081-Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

On September 17, 2020, President Donald J. Trump issued a presidential executive action titled "Proclamation 10081-Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg." This proclamation orders that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff at the White House, on all public buildings and grounds, at military posts and naval stations, and on federal naval vessels in the District of Columbia, throughout the United States, and its Territories and possessions. It also directs that the flag be flown at half-staff at all U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including military facilities and naval vessels and stations, until sunset on the day of interment.

This action primarily affects federal government entities and facilities, both domestically and internationally, by requiring them to display the U.S. flag at half-staff. It was issued as a mark of respect for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who served for more than 27 years as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Presidents have issued proclamations since George Washington, and these actions can carry the force of law when they are based on specific statutory authority delegated by Congress. Proclamations can be ceremonial, like expressing national sentiment, or they can be substantive, exercising delegated powers. The legal weight of this particular proclamation depends on the specific statutory authority it invokes. Without such backing, a proclamation is an expression of executive policy without binding legal effect on citizens; with statutory backing, it can create enforceable rules that must stay within what Congress authorized.

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