Bill Announcement

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 21, 2020 On Monday, December 21, 2020, the President signed into law:         H.R. 2246, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 West Cherokee Street in Brookhaven, Mississippi, as the Deputy Donald William Durr, Corporal Zach Moak, and Patrolman James White Memorial Post Office Building;   H.R. 2454, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 123 East Sharpfish Street in Rosebud, South Dakota, as the Ben Reifel Post Office Building;   H.R. 2969, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1401 1st Street North in Winter Haven, Florida, as the Althea Margaret Daily Mills Post Office Building;   H.R. 3005, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 13308 Midland Road in Poway, California, as the Ray Chavez Post Office Building;   H.R. 3275, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 340 Wetmore Avenue in Grand River, Ohio, as the Lance Corporal Andy "Ace" Nowacki Post Office;   H.R. 3680, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 415 North Main Street in Henning, Tennessee, as the Paula Croom Robinson and Judy Spray Memorial Post Office Building;   H.R. 3847, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 117 West Poythress Street in Hopewell, Virginia, as the Reverend Curtis West Harris Post Office Building;   H.R. 3870, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 511 West 165th Street in New York, New York, as the Normandia Maldonado Post Office Building;   H.R. 4034, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 602 Pacific Avenue in Bremerton, Washington, as the John Henry Turpin Post Office Building;   H.R. 4200, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 321 South 1st Street in Montrose, Colorado, as the Sergeant David Kinterknecht Post Office;   H.R. 4279, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 445 Main Street in Laceyville, Pennsylvania, as the Melinda Gene Piccotti Post Office;   H.R. 4672, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 21701 Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino, California, as the Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Axelson Post Office Building;   H.R. 4725, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8585 Criterion Drive in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the Chaplain (Capt.) Dale Goetz Memorial Post Office Building;   H.R. 4785, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1305 U.S. Highway 90 West in Castroville, Texas, as the Lance Corporal Rhonald Dain Rairdan Post Office;   H.R. 4875, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2201 E. Maple Street in North Canton, Ohio, as the Lance Cpl. Stacy "Annie" Dryden Post Office;   H.R. 4971, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15 East Market Street in Leesburg, Virginia, as the Norman Duncan Post Office Building;   H.R. 5317, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 315 Addicks Howell Road in Houston, Texas, as the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Building;   H.R. 5954, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 108 West Maple Street in Holly, Michigan, as the Holly Veterans Memorial Post Office; and   S. 4902, which designate the United States courthouse located at 351 South West Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse.

President Donald J. Trump Approves Oklahoma Disaster Declaration

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 21, 2020 President Donald J. Trump Approves Oklahoma Disaster Declaration   Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Oklahoma and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe winter storm from October 26 to October 29, 2020.   Federal funding is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm in the counties of Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Dewey, Grady, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Logan, Noble, Oklahoma, Payne, Pottawatomie, and Roger Mills.   Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.   Pete Gaynor, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Traci L. Brasher as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.    Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and additional counties may be designated for assistance after the assessments are fully completed.   FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

Executive Order on Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 21, 2020

EXECUTIVE ORDER - - - - - - - PROMOTING BEAUTIFUL FEDERAL CIVIC ARCHITECTURE       By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:     Section 1.  Purpose.  Societies have long recognized the importance of beautiful public architecture.  Ancient Greek and Roman public buildings were designed to be sturdy and useful, and also to beautify public spaces and inspire civic pride.  Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, public architecture continued to serve these purposes.  The 1309 constitution of the City of Siena required that "[w]hoever rules the City must have the beauty of the City as his foremost preoccupation . . . because it must provide pride, honor, wealth, and growth to the Sienese citizens, as well as pleasure and happiness to visitors from abroad."  Three centuries later, the great British Architect Sir Christopher Wren declared that "public buildings [are] the ornament of a country.  [Architecture] establishes a Nation, draws people and commerce, makes the people love their native country . . . Architecture aims at eternity[]"     Notable Founding Fathers agreed with these assessments and attached great importance to Federal civic architecture.  They wanted America's public buildings to inspire the American people and encourage civic virtue.  President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson consciously modeled the most important buildings in Washington, D.C., on the classical architecture of ancient Athens and Rome.  They sought to use classical architecture to visually connect our contemporary Republic with the antecedents of democracy in classical antiquity, reminding citizens not only of their rights but also their responsibilities in maintaining and perpetuating its institutions.     Washington and Jefferson personally oversaw the competitions to design the Capitol Building and the White House.  Under the direction and following the vision of these two founders, Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed the Nation's capital as a classical city.  The promise of his design for the city was fulfilled by the 1902 McMillan Plan, which created the National Mall and the Monumental Core as we know them.     For approximately a century and a half following America's founding, America's Federal architecture continued to be characterized by beautiful and beloved buildings of largely, though not exclusively, classical design.  Examples include the Second Bank of the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, and the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse in New York City, New York.  In Washington, D.C., classical buildings such as the White House, the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, the Department of the Treasury, and the Lincoln Memorial have become iconic symbols of our system of government.  These cherished landmarks, built to endure for centuries, have become an important part of our civic life.       In the 1950s, the Federal Government largely replaced traditional designs for new construction with modernist ones.  This practice became official policy after the Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Office Space proposed what became known as the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture (Guiding Principles) in 1962.  The Guiding Principles implicitly discouraged classical and other traditional designs known for their beauty, declaring instead that the Government should use "contemporary" designs.      The Federal architecture that ensued, overseen by the General Services Administration (GSA), was often unpopular with Americans.  The new buildings ranged from the undistinguished to designs even GSA now admits many in the public found unappealing.  In Washington, D.C., new Federal buildings visibly clashed with the existing classical architecture.  Some of these structures, such as the Hubert H. Humphrey Department of Health and Human Services Building and the Robert C. Weaver Department of Housing and Urban Development Building, were controversial, attracting widespread criticism for their Brutalist designs.       In 1994, GSA responded to this widespread criticism that the buildings it had been commissioning lacked distinction by establishing the Design Excellence Program.  The GSA intended that program to advance the Guiding Principles' mandate that Federal architecture "provide visual testimony to the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American Government."  Unfortunately, the program has not met this goal.     Under the Design Excellence Program, GSA has often selected designs by prominent architects with little regard for local input or regional aesthetic preferences.  The resulting Federal architecture sometimes impresses the architectural elite, but not the American people who the buildings are meant to serve.  Many of these new Federal buildings are not even visibly identifiable as civic buildings.     For example, GSA selected an architect to design the San Francisco Federal Building who describes his designs as "art-for-art's-sake" architecture, intended primarily for architects to appreciate.  While elite architects praised the resulting building, many San Franciscans consider it one of the ugliest structures in their city.  Similarly, GSA selected a modernist architect to design Salt Lake City's new Federal courthouse.  The architectural establishment and its professional organizations praised his unique creation, but many local residents considered it ugly and inconsistent with its surroundings.  In Orlando, Florida, a coalition of judges, court employees, and civic leaders opposed GSA's preferred modernist design for the George C. Young Federal Courthouse.  They believed it lacked the dignity a Federal courthouse should embody.  The GSA nonetheless imposed this design over their objections.     With a limited number of exceptions, such as the Tuscaloosa Federal Building and Courthouse and the Corpus Christi Federal Courthouse, the Federal Government has largely stopped building beautiful buildings.  In Washington, D.C., Federal architecture has become a discordant mixture of classical and modernist designs.     It is time to update the policies guiding Federal architecture to address these problems and ensure that architects designing Federal buildings serve their clients, the American people.  New Federal building designs should, like America's beloved landmark buildings, uplift and beautify public spaces, inspire the human spirit, ennoble the United States, command respect from the general public, and, as appropriate, respect the architectural heritage of a region.  They should also be visibly identifiable as civic buildings and should be selected with input from the local community.      Classical and other traditional architecture, as practiced both historically and by today's architects, have proven their ability to meet these design criteria and to more than satisfy today's functional, technical, and sustainable needs.  Their use should be encouraged instead of discouraged.       Encouraging classical and traditional architecture does not exclude using most other styles of architecture, where appropriate.  Care must be taken, however, to ensure that all Federal building designs command respect of the general public for their beauty and visual embodiment of America's ideals.      Sec. 2.  Policy.  (a)  Applicable Federal public buildings should uplift and beautify public spaces, inspire the human spirit, ennoble the United States, and command respect from the general public.  They should also be visually identifiable as civic buildings and, as appropriate, respect regional architectural heritage.  Architecture -- with particular regard for traditional and classical architecture -- that meets the criteria set forth in this subsection is the preferred architecture for applicable Federal public buildings.  In the District of Columbia, classical architecture shall be the preferred and default architecture for Federal public buildings absent exceptional factors necessitating another kind of architecture.      (b)  Where the architecture of applicable Federal public buildings diverges from the preferred architecture set forth in subsection (a) of this section, great care and consideration must be taken to choose a design that commands respect from the general public and clearly conveys to the general public the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of America's system of self-government.     (c)  When renovating, reducing, or expanding applicable Federal public buildings that do not meet the criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this section, the feasibility and potential expense of building redesign to meet those criteria should be examined.  Where feasible and economical, such redesign should be given substantial consideration, especially with regard to the building's exterior.     (d)  GSA should seek input from the future users of applicable public buildings and the general public in the community where such buildings will be located before selecting an architectural firm or design style.       Sec. 3.  Definitions.  For the purposes of this order:     (a)  "Applicable Federal public building" means:          (i)    all Federal courthouses and agency headquarters;          (ii)   all Federal public buildings in the District of Columbia; and          (iii)  all other Federal public buildings that cost or are expected to cost more than $50 million in 2020 dollars to design, build, and finish, but does not include infrastructure projects or land ports of entry.     (b)  "Brutalist" means the style of architecture that grew out of the early 20th-century modernist movement that is characterized by a massive and block-like appearance with a rigid geometric style and large-scale use of exposed poured concrete.     (c)  "Classical architecture" means the architectural tradition derived from the forms, principles, and vocabulary of the architecture of Greek and Roman antiquity, and as later developed and expanded upon by such Renaissance architects as Alberti, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, and Palladio; such Enlightenment masters as Robert Adam, John Soane, and Christopher Wren; such 19th-century architects as Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Robert Mills, and Thomas U. Walter; and such 20th-century practitioners as Julian Abele, Daniel Burnham, Charles F. McKim, John Russell Pope, Julia Morgan, and the firm of Delano and Aldrich.  Classical architecture encompasses such styles as Neoclassical, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco.      (d)  "Deconstructivist" means the style of architecture generally known as "deconstructivism" that emerged during the late 1980s that subverts the traditional values of architecture through such features as fragmentation, disorder, discontinuity, distortion, skewed geometry, and the appearance of instability.     (e)  "General public" means members of the public who are not:         (i)   artists, architects, engineers, art or architecture critics, instructors or professors of art or architecture, or members of the building industry; or         (ii)  affiliated with any interest group, trade association, or any other organization whose membership is financially affected by decisions involving the design, construction, or remodeling of public buildings.     (f)  "Officer" has the meaning given that term in section 2104 of title 5, United States Code.     (g)  "Public building" has the meaning given that term in section 3301(a)(5) of title 40, United States Code.     (h)  "Traditional architecture" includes classical architecture, as defined herein, and also includes the historic humanistic architecture such as Gothic, Romanesque, Pueblo Revival, Spanish Colonial, and other Mediterranean styles of architecture historically rooted in various regions of America.         (i)  "2020 dollars" means dollars adjusted for inflation using the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Gross Domestic Product price deflator and using 2020 as the base year.     Sec. 4.  President's Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture.  (a)  There is hereby established the President's Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture (Council).     (b)  The Council shall be composed of:          (i)    all of the members of the Commission of Fine Arts;          (ii)   the Secretary of the Commission of Fine Arts;         (iii)  the Architect of the Capitol;          (iv)   the Commissioner of the GSA Public Building Service;          (v)    the Chief Architect of GSA;          (vi)   other officers or employees of the Federal Government as the President may, from time to time, designate; and          (vii)  up to 20 additional members appointed by the President from among citizens from outside the Federal Government to provide diverse perspectives on the matters falling under the Council's jurisdiction.       (c)  The Council shall be chaired by a member of the Commission of Fine Arts designated by the President.  The Chair may designate a vice-chair and may establish subcommittees.     (d)  The members of the Council shall serve without compensation for their work on the Council.  However, members of the Council, while engaged in the work of the Council, may receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in the government service, pursuant to sections 5701 through 5707 of title 5, United States Code.      (e)  To the extent permitted by law and within existing appropriations, the Administrator of General Services (Administrator) shall provide such funding and administrative and technical support as the Council may require.  The Administrator shall, to the extent permitted by law, direct GSA staff to provide any relevant information the Council requests and may detail such staff to aid the work of the Council, at the request of the Council.       (f)  Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), may apply to the Council, any functions of the President under that Act, except that of reporting to the Congress under section 6 of that Act, shall be performed by the Administrator in accordance with the guidelines and procedures established by the Administrator.     (g)  The Council shall terminate on September 30, 2021, unless extended by the President.  Members appointed under subsections (b)(vi) and (b)(vii) of this section shall serve until the Council terminates and shall not be removed except for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.      Sec. 5.  Responsibilities of the Council.  The Council shall:     (a)  submit a report to the Administrator, recommending updates to GSA's policies and procedures to incorporate the policies of section 2 of this order and advance the purposes of this order.  The report shall explain how the recommended changes accomplish these purposes.  The report shall be submitted prior to September 30, 2021.     (b)  recommend to the Administrator changes to GSA policies for situations in which the agency participates in a design selection pursuant to the Commemorative Works Act (chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code), in furtherance of the purposes of this order and consistent with applicable law.     Sec. 6.  Agency Actions.  (a)  The Administrator shall adhere to the policies set forth in section 2 of this order.     (b)  In the event the Administrator proposes to approve a design for a new applicable Federal public building that diverges from the preferred architecture set forth in subsection 2(a) of this order, including Brutalist or Deconstructivist architecture or any design derived from or related to these types of architecture, the Administrator shall notify the President through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy not less than 30 days before GSA could reject such design without incurring substantial expenditures.  Such notification shall set forth the reasons the Administrator proposes to approve such design, including:         (i)    a detailed explanation of why the Administrator believes selecting such design is justified, with particular focus on whether such design is as beautiful and reflective of the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American system of self-government as alternative designs of comparable cost using preferred architecture;         (ii)   the total expected cost of adopting the proposed design, including estimated maintenance and replacement costs throughout its expected lifecycle; and         (iii)  a description of the designs using preferred architecture seriously considered for such project and the total expected cost of adopting such designs, including estimated maintenance and replacement costs throughout their expected lifecycles.     Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:         (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or         (ii)  the 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.     (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.                         DONALD J. TRUMP THE WHITE HOUSE,     December 18, 2020.

Bill Announcement

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 20, 2020

On Sunday, December 20, 2020, the President signed into law:     H.J.Res. 110, the “Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021,” which provides fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations to Federal agencies through Monday, December 21, 2020, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government.

Presidential Message on the First Birthday of the United States Space Force

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 20, 2020

Presidential Message on the First Birthday of the United States Space Force As Commander in Chief, I send my best wishes to the men and women of the United States Space Force on its first birthday!   Over 50 years ago, Americans produced one of history’s most triumphant achievements by taking “one small step for man” and “one giant leap for mankind.”  As our beautiful American Flag was planted on the Moon’s surface, it was clear what had brought humans to this new and wondrous frontier—the American spirit.  One year ago, we opened another chapter in the extraordinary history of American leadership in space, and strengthened America’s heritage as the world’s greatest arsenal of democracy.  Today, I commend the brave Americans who have taken their oath and joined the Space Force’s ranks, and the many more yet to join, for taking another giant leap toward a brighter future for all.   Now, we stand at the birth of a new era.  As space exploration and commercialization continues to increase, our Nation’s boundless future will be built upon the success of the Space Force and its members.  True to their motto, “Always Above,” the Guardians of the United States Space Force ensure our Nation continues to maintain peace through strength by securing the farthest reaches of humanity.  These 21st century pioneers keep watch around the world by detecting missile launches, providing strategic advantages to our military and intelligence community, and propelling our Armed Forces into the future.   The United States has the most capable military on Earth, and today, we celebrate the Space Force for extending our safety and security beyond it.  May God protect all those who serve our great Nation in uniform, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.   Semper Supra!

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2020

Statement from the Press Secretary   Today, the President was delighted to welcome the great Americans he intends to appoint to the 1776 Commission. As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary of glorious Independence, many of America’s school children are tragically being taught to hate our founding, hate our history, and hate our country. This must stop. The 1776 Commission will help ensure that every American child learns that they live in the greatest and most exceptional nation in the history of the world. That is why it is absolutely vital to teach America’s young people all that is inspiring and unifying in our history. We want our children to become patriots who love their country. The 1776 Commission will share the story of our nation’s miraculous founding, proclaim the self-evident truths contained in the Declaration of Independence, and explain how these founding principles have helped our people overcome great national challenges throughout our history – and how these principles can guide us to a great American future. All Americans should pay close attention to this work.

Bill Announcement

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2020

On Friday, December 18, 2020, the President signed into law:     H.J.Res. 107, the “Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021,” which provides fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations to Federal agencies through December 20, 2020, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government.

Bill Announcement

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2020

On Friday, December 18, 2020, the President signed into law:     S. 910, the “National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2020,” which reauthorizes the National Sea Grant College Program through fiscal year 2025; clarifies that the scope of the program includes financial assistance for research, training, and technology transfer; and modifies the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program;   S. 945, the “Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act,” which requires certain issuers of securities to establish that they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government, specifically if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is unable to audit specified reports because the issuer has retained a foreign public accounting firm that is not subject to inspection by the Board;   S. 1069, the “Digital Coast Act,” which requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain a program capable of efficiently integrating coastal data with decision-support tools, training, and best practices to improve local, State, and Federal capacities to manage the coastal region; and   S. 1982, the “Save Our Seas 2.0 Act,” which establishes a nongovernmental Marine Debris Foundation and a prize competition for the "Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovation"; increases efforts to engage, cooperate, and coordinate with other governmental and nongovernmental entities to raise international awareness of plastic waste and combat marine debris; and creates infrastructure grant programs to be administered by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Executive Order Promoting Redemption of Savings Bonds

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2020

EXECUTIVE ORDER - - - - - - - PROMOTING REDEMPTION OF SAVINGS BONDS       By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:     Section 1.  Purpose.  Since 1935, the Department of the Treasury (Department) has issued savings bonds to the American public.  Backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government, these bonds are extremely safe investments that were designed to be accessible even to inexperienced investors.  Indeed, over the years, savings bonds have proved to be a popular birthday or graduation gift, helping introduce younger Americans to the rewards of investing in our country's future.  Among other things, savings bonds provided the United States with a critical source of financing during World War II.     By law, savings bonds never expire, and there is no deadline for owners to redeem them.  It is currently estimated that more than 75 million matured savings bonds, issued as far back as 1935, remain unredeemed.  The total value of these unredeemed savings bonds is approximately $27 billion.     Above and beyond any legal requirements applicable to savings bonds, the Department should take all appropriate action to make sure that those Americans who invested in the future success of their country have the opportunity to receive the remuneration to which they are lawfully entitled.  Under my Administration, the Department has already undertaken significant measures to reunite matured savings bonds with their rightful owners.  For example, the Department in 2019 released an online tool known as "Treasury Hunt" to help individuals determine if they are the owners of matured unredeemed savings bonds.  This order is the next step in ensuring that owners of matured savings bonds have a full opportunity to redeem their bonds.     Sec. 2.  Updating Records.  The Department shall work to digitize and make electronically searchable sufficient information to identify the registered owner of any matured unredeemed savings bond, including the name and registered address of such owner and of any registered beneficiaries.  In particular, the Department shall complete its ongoing pilot project to assess the feasibility and cost of digitizing and making these records searchable and accessible, which is being carried out in conjunction with multiple vendors, before the end of calendar year 2020.  If the pilot project is successful, a vendor shall be selected to begin digitizing savings bond records.  When digitizing records, the Department shall, to the extent feasible, focus first on the bond-issuance years that represent the highest percentage of matured unredeemed debt.      Sec. 3.  Information Accessibility.  Within 30 days of beginning to receive data from the digitization of records described in section 2 of this order, the Department shall incorporate into the data accessible through Treasury Hunt information collected from the digitized records, in a secure manner and consistent with applicable law, including the Privacy Act.  The Department shall work to ensure that this information can be used through Treasury Hunt to help individuals determine if they are the owners of matured unredeemed savings bonds.       Sec. 4.  Customer Research.  The Department shall conduct customer research to determine why individuals do not redeem savings bonds upon maturity, any barriers individuals encounter when they do attempt to redeem their bonds, and the feasibility of modifying redemption methods or developing alternative redemption methods in order to mitigate, overcome, or avoid any such barriers.     Sec. 5.  Collaboration with States.  The Department shall engage with States and State associations to obtain additional data and information to help the Department identify owners of unredeemed bonds, to learn best practices employed by the States regarding the redemption of mature bonds, and to encourage the States to add direct links to Treasury Hunt to States' unclaimed property websites or other appropriate State publications or information portals.       Sec. 6.  Public Reporting.  Within 6 months of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury shall publish a report on actions and initiatives undertaken by the Department to implement this order.      Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:           (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or          (ii)  the 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.     (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.                         DONALD J. TRUMP   THE WHITE HOUSE,     December 18, 2020.

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2020

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT          Today, I have signed into law S. 1982, the "Save Our Seas 2.0 Act" (the "Act").  The Act enhances our Nation's efforts to combat marine debris and its adverse effects on the economy of the United States, the marine environment, and navigation safety.  I note, however, that the Act raises a number of constitutional concerns.      Section 112(b) of the Act requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to appoint, and allows the Under Secretary to remove, members of the Board of Directors of the Marine Debris Foundation, who would be inferior officers.  The Appointments Clause authorizes the Congress to vest the authority to appoint inferior officers only in the President, the head of a department, or a court of law.  The Under Secretary is not the head of a department who could constitutionally be authorized to appoint inferior officers.  I will, therefore, implement section 112(b) consistent with the Appointments Clause by requiring that the Under Secretary make these appointments either with the Secretary of Commerce's approval or by designating already duly appointed officers who would be exercising authorities in their new roles that are germane to their pre-existing duties.  Similarly, because the power to remove is generally incidental to the power to appoint, I will implement section 112(b) to require the Secretary's approval for any removals.      Several other provisions of the Act (including sections 201, 202(a), 203, and 204(b)) require the executive branch to adopt a particular foreign policy or purport to direct negotiations with foreign governments and international organizations.  My Administration will implement these provisions in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to conduct foreign affairs.                                 DONALD J. TRUMP   THE WHITE HOUSE,     December 18, 2020.

Resolute Reads FIVE STORIES PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN'T WANT YOU TO MISS

 

FIVE STORIES PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN'T WANT YOU TO MISS Moderna COVID Vaccine Gets Key Endorsement — Vaccinations Are Safe and Will End Pandemic -Fox News “The vote Thursday by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel to recommend an emergency use authorization for Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine is an important and welcome step in our battle to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sally Pipes writes. Vaccinations are already underway for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, as well.    WATCH: Vice President Pence receives the Coronavirus vaccine! The COVID-19 Moon Shot: Operation Warp Speed -RealClearHealth “What usually takes up to ten years, America’s innovative bio-pharmaceutical companies accomplished–the design and testing of a new vaccine–in less than ten months,” Jerry Rogers writes. “The Trump administration, the American bio-pharmaceutical industry, medical professionals, and America’s supermarkets, grocers, and pharmacies have all risen to the enormous task of defeating an invisible enemy.” Trump’s Peace Deals Mean the Anti-Israel Boycott Movement Is Dead -New York Post “The US-brokered Abraham Accords will almost certainly be remembered as Team Trump’s greatest foreign achievement. Among the as-yet-unappreciated benefits: The accords will utterly delegitimize those in the West who seek to delegitimize Israel, not least the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction the Jewish state,” Sohrab Ahmari writes. Trump Signs Bill for Women’s Suffrage Monument in Washington, D.C. -Forbes “President Donald Trump signed a bill Thursday authorizing an outdoor federal monument in Washington, D.C., to the women’s suffrage movement to honor the activists who won women the right to vote, his latest move to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment,” Carlie Porterfield reports.    WATCH: President Trump signs law to honor women’s suffrage China Lies About Its Wrongdoing on COVID, Spying, Global Aggression, Pollution and More -Fox News “China has not taken one step in statecraft that suggests the regime is interested in being a more responsible international partner,” defense expert James Carafano writes. “It is the height of irresponsibility to believe that going easy on the Chinese Communist regime will produce anything other than more deceit and aggression and more disappointment for the free world.”

President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts

 

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2020 President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission for terms of two years:   Larry Arnn, of Arkansas, Chair   Dr. Carol M. Swain, of Tennessee, Vice Chair   Brooke L. Rollins, of Texas   Vincent M. Haley, of Virginia   Victor Davis Hanson, of California   Phil Bryant, of Mississippi   Mike Gonzalez, of Maryland   John Gibbs, of Michigan   Scott McNealy, of Nevada   Gay Hart Gaines, of Florida   Ned Ryun, of Virginia   Charles Kirk, of Illinois   Peter N. Kirsanow, of Ohio   Charles R. Kesler, of California   Dr. Thomas K. Lindsay, of Texas   Jerry C. Davis, of Missouri   Michael Farris, of Virginia   Bob McEwen, of Ohio