Executive Order 13503-Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs
Issued 2009-02-19 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
President Obama's Executive Order 13503 creates a White House Office of Urban Affairs to coordinate federal programs and policies affecting cities. The order notes that about 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, and states that in the past, insufficient attention has been paid to problems faced by urban areas and to coordinating the many federal programs that affect cities. The new office is established within the Executive Office of the President and will be led by a Director who reports to assistants for Intergovernmental Affairs and Domestic Policy.
The office's main responsibilities include providing leadership for and coordinating urban policy development across federal departments and agencies, ensuring these departments consider the potential impact of their actions on urban areas, and working to ensure federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent. The office is also directed to engage with state and local officials, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector both to gather input on urban policy and to ensure federal programs advance urban policy objectives. The order requires all executive departments and agencies to cooperate with the office and provide requested information and assistance.
This action primarily affects the approximately 80 percent of Americans living in urban areas by creating a central coordination point for federal programs and policies that impact cities. The order requires cooperation from numerous federal agencies including the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Whether the President has constitutional authority to establish such an office depends on whether it functions as an advisory body within the White House (generally accepted under Article II executive management powers) or attempts broader reorganization that might require congressional authorization.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
Executive Order 13503 ("Executive Order 13503-Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs") restructures or establishes federal entities. The stated purpose: "take a coordinated and comprehensive approach to developing and implementing an effective strategy concerning urban America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1." The President has authority to manage the executive branch under Article II, including creating task forces, councils, and working groups within the White House. However, creating independent agencies with binding regulatory authority, or fundamentally restructuring congressionally created departments, typically requires legislative authorization.
The Reorganization Act historically provided a framework for executive reorganization subject to congressional review. Current reorganization authority is more limited. The constitutionality depends on whether this order creates White House advisory bodies (acceptable) or attempts to restructure agencies in ways that conflict with their enabling statutes (questionable).
Official Summary
Administration of Barack H. Obama, 2009 Executive Order 13503—Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs February 19, 2009 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to take a coordinated and comprehensive approach to developing and implementing an effective strategy concerning urban America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. About 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, and the economic health and social vitality of our urban communities are critically important to the prosperity and quality of life for Americans. Vibrant cities spawn innovation, economic growth, and cultural enrichment through the businesses, universities, and civic, cultural, religious, and nonprofit institutions they attract. Forward-looking policies that encourage wise investment and development in our urban areas will create employment and housing opportunities and make our country more competitive, prosperous, and strong. In the past, insufficient attention has been paid to the problems faced by urban areas and to coordinating the many Federal programs that affect our cities. A more comprehensive a