Text of a Letter from the President to Selected Congressional Committee Leadership

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 28, 2019 TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, THE CHAIRMEN OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, THE CHAIRMEN OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES ON ARMED SERVICES, AND THE CHAIRMEN OF THE HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE May 28, 2019   Dear Mr. Chairman: (Dear Madam Chairwoman:) Consistent with section 1264(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) (the "Act"), I am transmitting Executive Order 13862 of March 6, 2019 (Revocation of Reporting Requirement).  This Executive Order revokes an annual reporting requirement from Executive Order 13732 of July 1, 2016, related to counterterrorism strikes undertaken by the United States outside areas of active hostilities. After closely evaluating the reporting requirement called for in Executive Order 13732 and in light of subsequent requirements specified by the Congress in the Act, I determined to revoke section 3 of Executive Order 13732, while retaining all other portions of that Executive Order.  The report submitted to the Congress by the Department of Defense pursuant to section 1057 of the Act is more comprehensive in certain ways than the report Executive Order 13732 required, which was limited in geographic scope and type of United States Government operation. The United States Government is committed to minimizing civilian casualties and complying with its obligations under the law of armed conflict.  All United States efforts to minimize civilian casualties described in Executive Order 13732 continue to apply.                         Sincerely,                           DONALD J. TRUMP