NEW OBAMA EXECUTIVE ORDER ANGERS US CONSTITUTIONALISTS
By
NWV News writer Jim Kouri
Posted 1:00 AM Eastern
January 18, 2010
© 2009 NewsWithViews.com
[NewsWithViews.com
dispatched a reporter to participate in a Defense Department teleconference
billed as the "Bloggers Roundtable," a press conference for
bloggers and Internet journalists.]
While the mainstream media covers most legislation being debated on
the floors of both houses of the US Congress, it is the presidential
executive orders that are implemented with enormous impact on the lives
of American citizens that should be exposed.
For example, this past week, President Barack Obama signed an Executive
Order thereby creating a Council
of Governors to create a working relationship between the Federal
Government and State Governments to protect the United States against
all types of hazards.
According to the White House press office, when appointed, the Council
will be reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard units
of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization
and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United
States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National
Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities.
The
Council is being touted as a bipartisan endeavor that will be comprised
of 10 governors from various states who will be selected by the President
to serve two year terms. In selecting the governors to the Council,
the White House will solicit input from governors and Governors’
associations. Once chosen, the Council will have no more than five members
from the same party and represent the nation as a whole.
"While selected governors will be either Democrats or Republicans,
there are no provisions to make certain conservatives and progressives
are evenly represented," said political strategist Mike Baker.
The federal government members of the Council includes the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs, the U.S. Northern Command (NORCOM) Commander, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau within the US Defense Department. The Secretary of Defense will designate an Executive Director for the Council.
The rationale for creating the Council of Governors is that it will provide a Senior Administration forum for exchanging views with State and local officials on strengthening our National resilience and the homeland defense and civil support challenges facing our Nation today and in the future, according to the Defense Department presses office.
The
formation of the Council of Governors was required by Section 1822 of
the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act which states,
“The President shall establish a bipartisan Council of Governors
to advise the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security,
and the White House Homeland Security Council on matters related to
the National Guard and civil support missions.”
"What troubles many Americans -- at least those aware of this latest
Obama power grab, is that last year an agreement with Canada -- defined
as a Civil Assistance Plan -- that was not submitted to Congress for
debate and approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty specifically
authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations of the
armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of domestic
civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics,
to civil riots or terrorist attacks," explains Baker.
In Canada the
agreement paving the way for the militaries of the US and Canada
to cross each other's borders to fight domestic emergencies was not
announced either by Prime Minister Harper's administration or the Canadian
military. The agreement met with protests and demonstrations by Canadians
opposed to such treaties with the US.
"This is a military plan that's designed to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act that traditionally prohibited the US military from operating within the borders of the United States. Not only will American soldiers be deployed at the discretion of whoever is sitting in the Oval Office, but foreign soldiers will also be deployed in American cities," warns Lt. Steven Rodgers, commander of the Nutley, NJ Police Department's detective bureau.
In
a report released to the US Congress recently, analysts assessed what
they termed "preparedness tests" between the US military and
government agencies at the federal, state and local levels.
U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) exercises to test preparedness to perform
its homeland defense and civil support missions. The Government Accountability
Office was asked to assess the extent to which NORTHCOM is consistent
with Department of Defense guidelines for training and exercise requirement
involving interagency partners and states in its exercises.
NORTHCOM’s exercise program is generally consistent with the requirements
of DOD’s Joint Training System, but its exercise reporting is
inconsistent. Since the command was established in 2002, NORTHCOM has
conducted 13 large-scale exercises and generally completed exercise
summary reports within the required time frame.
However, those reports did not consistently include certain information,
such as areas needing improvement, because NORTHCOM lacks guidance that
specifies exercise reports’ content and format, potentially impacting
its ability to meet internal standards for planning and execution of
joint exercises, and to compare and share exercise results over time
with interagency partners and states.
"While the rationale for using the US military domestically had
been debated for years, President Barack Obama appears intent on using
our military at least until he can create his promised 'Civilian Security
Force' which he said would be as big and powerful as the military,"
said political strategist Mike Baker.
"The fact that the military -- in this instance NORTHCOM -- is
being trained to operate within our borders should be setting off alarms
throughout this nation. But it's being ignored even by those who profess
to be conservatives," he said.
Nineteen federal agencies and organizations and 17 states and the District
of Columbia have participated in one or more of the seven large-scale
exercises that NORTHCOM has conducted since September 2005. However,
NORTHCOM faces challenges in involving states in the planning, conduct,
and assessment of its exercises, such as adapting its exercise system
and practices to involve other federal, state, local, and tribal agencies
that do not have the same practices or level of planning resources.
With the involvement of the Council of Governors, the Obama Administration
hopes to correct any coordination problems.
The following is the Executive
Order creating the Council of Governors.
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THE
WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release January 11, 2010
EXECUTIVE ORDER
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America, including section 1822 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-181), and
in order to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government
and State governments to protect our Nation and its people and property,
it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Council of Governors.
(a) There is established a Council of Governors (Council).The Council shall consist of 10 State Governors appointed by the President (Members), of whom no more than five shall be of the same political party. The term of service for each Member appointed to serve on the Council shall be 2 years, but a Member may be reappointed for additional terms.
(b) The President shall designate two Members, who shall not be members of the same political party, to serve as Co-Chairs of the Council.
Sec. 2. Functions. The Council shall meet at the call of the Secretary of Defense or the Co-Chairs of the Council to exchange views, information, or advice with the Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of Homeland Security; the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs; the Commander, United States Northern Command; the Chief, National Guard Bureau; the Commandant of the Coast Guard; and other appropriate officials of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, and appropriate officials of other executive departments or agencies as may be designated by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Such views, information, or advice shall concern:
(a) matters involving the National Guard of the various States;
(b) homeland defense;
(c)
civil support;
more (OVER) 2
(d) synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and
(e) other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities.
Sec. 3. Administration.
(a) The Secretary of Defense shall designate an Executive Director to coordinate the work of the Council.
(b) Members shall serve without compensation for their work on the Council. However, Members shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law.
(c) Upon the joint request of the Co-Chairs of the Council, the Secretary of Defense shall, to the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations, provide the Council with administrative support,assignment or detail of personnel, and information as may be necessary for the performance of the Council's functions.
(d) The Council may establish subcommittees of the Council. These subcommittees shall consist exclusively of Members of the Council and any designated employees of a Member with authority to act on the Member's behalf, as appropriate to aid the Council in carrying out its functions under this order.
(e) The Council may establish a charter that is consistent with the terms of this order to refine further its purpose, scope, and objectives and to allocate duties, as appropriate, among members.
Sec. 4. Definitions. As used in this order:
(a) the term "State" has the meaning provided in paragraph (15) of section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002(6 U.S.C. 101(15)); and
(b) the term "Governor" has the meaning provided in paragraph (5) of section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(5)).
(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(1) the authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(2) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. more 3
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(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
BARACK
OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE, January 11, 2010.
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