Barack Obama

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Executive Order 13764—Amending the Civil Service Rules, Executive Order 13488, and Executive Order 13467 To Modernize the Executive Branch-Wide Governance Structure and Processes for Security Clearances, Suitability and Fitness for Employment, and Credentialing, and Related Matters January 17, 2017 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and as part of continuing efforts to modernize the overarching executive branch enterprise to ensure that all persons performing work for or on behalf of the Government are and continue to be loyal to the United States, reliable, trustworthy, and of good conduct and character, and by using mutually consistent standards and procedures, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Amendments to the Civil Service Rules. (a) Civil Service Rule II is amended as follows: (i) The title to 5 CFR Part 2 is revised to read as follows: "PART 2—APPOINTMENT THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE SERVICE; RELATED MATTERS (RULE II)" (ii) The title to 5 CFR 2.1 is revised to read as follows: "§2.1 Competitive examinations and eligible registers; suitability and fitness for civil service employment.&quot

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Memorandum on Delegation of Authority to the Secretary of State Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 January 17, 2017 Memorandum for the Secretary of State Subject: Delegation of Authority to the Secretary of State Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby order as follows: I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority vested in the President by section 1287(c)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328) (the "Act"), to designate a senior official to develop guidance for the Global Engagement Center relating to relevant privacy and civil liberties laws, and to ensure compliance with such guidance. Any reference in this memorandum to the Act shall be deemed to be a reference to any future Act that is the same or substantially the same as such provision. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register . B ARACK <FONT size="+

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Proclamation 9569—Religious Freedom Day, 2017 January 13, 2017 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Believing that "Almighty God hath created the mind free," Thomas Jefferson authored the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom after our young Nation declared its independence. This idea of religious liberty later became a foundation for the First Amendment, which begins by stating that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." On Religious Freedom Day, we rededicate ourselves to defending these fundamental principles, pay tribute to the many ways women and men of different religious and non-religious backgrounds have shaped America's narrative, and resolve to continue forging a future in which all people are able to practice their faiths freely or not practice at all. Religious freedom is a principle based not on shared ancestry, culture, ethnicity, or faith but on a shared commitment to liberty—and it lies at the very heart of who we are as Americans. As a Nation, our strength comes from our diversity, and we must be unified in our commitment to protecting the freedoms of conscience and religiou

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Executive Order 13761—Recognizing Positive Actions by the Government of Sudan and Providing for the Revocation of Certain Sudan-Related Sanctions January 13, 2017 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq .), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq .), the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7201–7211) (TSRA), the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004, as amended (Public Law 108–497) (CPSA), the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–344) (DPAA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I, Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, find that the situation that gave rise to the actions taken in Executive Order 13067 of November 3, 1997, and Executive Order 13412 of October 13, 2006, related to the policies and actions of the Government of Sudan has been altered by Sudan's positive actions over the past 6 months. These actions include a marked reduction in offensive military activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, and steps toward t

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Executive Order 13763—Providing an Order of Succession Within the Environmental Protection Agency January 13, 2017 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq . (the "Act"), it is hereby ordered that: Section 1 . Order of Succession . Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this order, and to the limitations set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Environmental Protection Agency, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator) during any period in which the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency have died, resigned, or become otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Administrator: (a) General Counsel; (b) Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste; (c) Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances (also known as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention); (d) Assistant Administrator for

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Memorandum on Continuing To Expand Opportunity for All Young People January 13, 2017 Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies Subject: Continuing to Expand Opportunity for All Young People By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following: Section 1 . The Presidential Memorandum issued on February 27, 2014 (Creating and Expanding Ladders of Opportunity for Boys and Young Men of Color), is amended: (a) in the preamble, by striking the phrase "My Brother's Keeper initiative" and replacing it with "Task Force on Improving the Lives of Boys and Young Men of Color and Underserved Youth"; (b) in the preamble, by striking the phrase "The initiative" and replacing it with "The Task Force"; (c) in section 1, by striking the phrase "My Brother's Keeper Task Force" throughout and replacing it with "Task Force on Improving the Lives of Boys and Young Men of Color and Underserved Youth"; (d) in section 1(a), by striking everything that follows "In addition to the Chair, the Task Force shall consist of th

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Proclamation 9568—Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2017 January 13, 2017 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation When the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shared his dream with the world atop the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he gave mighty voice to our founding ideals. Few could have imagined that nearly half a century later, his iconic profile would forever be memorialized in stone, standing tall and gazing outward, not far from where he stirred our collective conscience to action. In summoning a generation to recognize the universal threat of injustice anywhere, Dr. King's example has proven that those who love their country can change it. A foot soldier for justice and a giant of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King lifted the quiet hopes of our Nation with the powers of his voice and pen. Whether behind his pulpit in Montgomery, at a podium on the National Mall, or from his jail cell in Birmingham, he beckoned us toward justice through non-violent resistance and oratory skill. Dr. King fought not merely for the absence of oppression but for the presence of opportunity. His soaring rhetoric impelled others to take up his cause, and with struggle and discipline, persistence and

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Executive Order 13762—Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice January 13, 2017 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq ., it is hereby ordered that: Section 1 . Order of Succession . Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this order, the following officers, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of Attorney General, during any period in which the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, the Associate Attorney General, and any officers designated by the Attorney General pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 508 to act as Attorney General have died, resigned, or otherwise become unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Attorney General, until such time as at least one of the officers mentioned above is able to perform the functions and duties of that office: (a) United States Attorney for the District of Columbia; (b) United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and (c) United States Attorney for the Central District of California. Sec. 2 .

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Memorandum on Designation of Officers or Employees of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to Act as Director January 13, 2017 Memorandum for the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy Subject: Designation of Officers or Employees of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to Act as Director By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq . (the "Act"), it is hereby ordered that: Section 1 . Order of Succession . Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this memorandum and the limitations set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of the Director of OSTP (Director), during any period in which the Director has died, resigned, or otherwise become unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Director, until such time as the Director is able to perform the functions and duties of that office: (a) Associate Director (National Security and International Affairs); <P

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Memorandum on Providing an Order of Succession Within the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service January 13, 2017 Memorandum for the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Subject: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345, et seq . (the "Act"), it is hereby ordered that: Section 1 . Order of Succession . Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this memorandum, and to the limitations set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the Office of the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (Director), during any period in which the Director has died, resigned, or otherwise become unable to perform the functions and duties of the Office of the Director: (a) Deputy Director, Field Operations; (b) Deputy Director; and (c) Manager, National Programs and Initiatives.

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Memorandum on Providing an Order of Succession Within the Council on Environmental Quality January 13, 2017 Memorandum for the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality Subject: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Council on Environmental Quality By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq . (the "Act"), it is hereby ordered that: Section 1 . Order of Succession . Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this memorandum and to the limitations set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Council on Environmental Quality, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (Chairman), during any period in which the Chairman has died, resigned, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of that office: (a) Managing Director; (b) Chief of Staff; (c) General Counsel; (d) Associate Director for National Environmental Policy Act; and (e) Other Associate Directors in the ord

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Executive Order 13759—Designating the World Organisation for Animal Health as a Public International Organization Entitled To Enjoy Certain Privileges, Exemptions, and Immunities January 12, 2017 Section 1 . Designation . By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act (22 U.S.C. 288), and having found that the World Organisation for Animal Health (also known by its historical acronym OIE) is a public international organization in which the United States participates within the meaning of the International Organizations Immunities Act, I hereby designate the World Organisation for Animal Health as a public international organization entitled to enjoy the privileges, exemptions, and immunities provided by the International Organizations Immunities Act. This designation is not intended to abridge in any respect privileges, exemptions, or immunities that such organization otherwise may have acquired or may acquire by law. Sec. 2 . General Provisions . (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (1) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Proclamation 9564—Boundary Enlargement of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument January 12, 2017 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Through Proclamation 7318 of June 9, 2000, President Bill Clinton established the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (monument) to protect the ecological wonders and biological diversity at the interface of the Cascade, Klamath, and Siskiyou ecoregions. The area, home to an incredible variety of species and habitats, represents a rich mosaic of forests, grasslands, shrublands, and wet meadows. The many rare and endemic plant and animal species found here are a testament to Cascade-Siskiyou's unique ecosystems and biotic communities. As President Clinton noted in Proclamation 7318, the ecological integrity of the ecosystems that harbor this diverse array of species is vital to their continued existence. Since 2000, scientific studies of the area have reinforced that the environmental processes supporting the biodiversity of the monument require habitat connectivity corridors for species migration and dispersal. Additionally, they require a range of habitats that can be resistant and resilient to large-scale disturbance such as fire, insects and disease, invasiv

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Proclamation 9563—Boundary Enlargement of the California Coastal National Monument January 12, 2017 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Through Proclamation 7264 of January 11, 2000, President Clinton established the California Coastal National Monument (monument) to protect the biological treasures situated on thousands of unappropriated or unreserved islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles owned or controlled by the Government of the United States within 12 nautical miles of the shoreline of the State of California. Presidential Proclamation 9089, issued on March 11, 2014, expanded the monument to include the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands, a landscape of coastal bluffs and shelves, tide pools, onshore dunes, coastal prairies, and riverbanks, and the mouth and estuary of the Garcia River. In addition to providing vital habitat for wildlife, these coastal lands were critical for the native peoples who first lived along the California Coast, and they continue to be treasured by modern generations. Six other spectacular areas along the California Coast contain significant scientific or historic resources that are closely tied to the values of the monument. Like the protections afford

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Executive Order 13760—Exclusions from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program January 12, 2017 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 7103(b)(1) of title 5, United States Code, and in order to reflect the effects of the reorganization and restructuring of the Department of Defense on its agencies and subdivisions exempted from coverage under the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1 . Determinations . The agencies and subdivisions of the Department of Defense set forth in section 2 of this order are hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work. It is further determined that chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, cannot be applied to these subdivisions in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations. Sec. 2 . Department of Defense . Executive Order 12171 of November 19, 1979, as amended, is further amended by: (a) revising section 1–204 to read as follows: "1–204. Agencies or subdivisions of the Department of the Army, Departme

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Proclamation 9566—Establishment of the Freedom Riders National Monument January 12, 2017 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation An interracial group of "Freedom Riders" set out in May 1961 on a journey from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans through the Deep South. In organizing the 1961 Freedom Rides, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was building upon earlier efforts of other civil rights organizations, including the 1947 "Journey of Reconciliation," an integrated bus ride through the segregated Upper South. The purpose of the 1961 Freedom Rides was to test if bus station facilities in the Deep South were complying with U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Brown v . Board of Education of Topeka (1954) had reversed the infamous "separate but equal" doctrine in public education, and Morgan v . Virginia (1946) and Boynton v . Virginia (1960) had struck down Virginia laws compelling segregation in interstate travel. These rulings were the result of successful litigation brought by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which laid the groundwork for direct action campaigns by civil rights organizations like C

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Executive Order 13758—Amending Executive Order 11016 to Update Eligibility Criteria for Award of the Purple Heart January 12, 2017 By the authority vested in me as President and as Commander in Chief of the armed forces by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, Executive Order 11016 of April 25, 1962, as amended, is further amended as follows: Section 1 . Paragraph 1 is amended to read as follows: "1. The Secretary of a military department, or the Secretary of Homeland Security with regard to the Coast Guard when not operating as a service in the Navy, shall, in the name of the President of the United States, award the Purple Heart, with suitable ribbons and appurtenances, to any member or former member of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of that department who, while serving as a member of the armed forces, has been, or may hereafter be, wounded: (a) in any action against an enemy of the United States; (b) in any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the armed forces of the United States are or have been engaged; (c) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the Uni

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Proclamation 9565—Establishment of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument January 12, 2017 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The A.G. Gaston Motel (Gaston Motel), located in Birmingham, Alabama, within walking distance of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, and other landmarks of the American civil rights movement (movement), served as the headquarters for a civil rights campaign in the spring of 1963. The direct action campaign—known as "Project C" for confrontation—challenged unfair laws designed to limit the freedoms of African Americans and ensure racial inequality. Throughout the campaign, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Reverend Ralph David Abernathy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR), and other movement leaders rented rooms at the Gaston Motel and held regular strategy sessions there. They also staged marches and held press conferences on the premises. Project C succeeded in focusing the world's attention on racial injustice in America and creating momentum for Federal civil rights legislation that would be enacted in 1964.

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Proclamation 9567—Establishment of the Reconstruction Era National Monument January 12, 2017 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The Reconstruction Era, a period spanning the early Civil War years until the start of Jim Crow racial segregation in the 1890s, was a time of significant transformation in the United States, as the Nation grappled with the challenge of integrating millions of newly freed African Americans into its social, political, and economic life. It was in many ways the Nation's Second Founding, as Americans abolished slavery and struggled earnestly, if not always successfully, to build a nation of free and equal citizens. During Reconstruction, Congress passed the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth constitutional amendments that abolished slavery, guaranteed due process and equal protection under the law, and gave all males the ability to vote by prohibiting voter discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Ultimately, the unmet promises of Reconstruction led to the modern civil rights movement a century later. The Reconstruction Era began when the first United States soldiers arrived in slaveholding territories, and enslaved people on plantat

Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Memorandum on Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Our National Parks, National Forests, and Other Public Lands and Waters January 12, 2017 Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies Subject: Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Our National Parks, National Forests, and Other Public Lands and Waters Our Federal lands and waters are among our Nation's greatest treasures—from our National Parks and National Forests, to our wild and scenic rivers, recreation areas, and other public lands and waters. These natural and historic sites give us fresh air and clean water, places for recreation and inspiration, and support for our local communities and economies. As a powerful sign of our democratic ideals, these lands belong to all Americans—rich and poor, urban and rural, young and old, from all backgrounds, genders, cultures, religious viewpoints, and walks of life. Our public lands and waters are treasured in part because they tell the story of our Nation. They preserve the history from our Nation's wars, protect cultural sites considered sacred to countless Americans, and honor the accomplishments of distinctly American leaders ranging from Harriet Tubman to Abraham Lincoln to Cesar Chavez. I am pr