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Executive Order 11703 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 11703—Assigning Policy Development and Direction Functions With Respect to the Oil Import Control Program

Richard Nixon Richard Nixon
•
Wednesday, February 7, 1973
•
3 min read (532 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Richard Nixon on 1973-02-07, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Assigning Policy Development and Direction Functions With Respect to the Oil Import Control Program." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ The Oil Policy Committee, as reconstituted by this order, is hereby continued.
▪ The Chairman of the Oil Policy Committee shall provide policy direction, coordination, and surveillance of the oil import control program established by Proclamation No.
▪ 3279 of March 10, 1959, as amended, including approval of regulations hereafter issued pursuant to such proclamation.
▪ He shall perform those functions after receiving the advice of the Oil Policy Committee and in accordance with guidance from the Assistant to the President with responsibility in the area of economic affairs.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Financial Institutions & Monetary Authorities
Total Words
532
3,294 characters
Estimated Read Time
3 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
16.4
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations 

Exec. Order No. 11703, Richard Nixon (Feb 7, 1973). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-11703-assigning-policy-development-and-direction-functions-with-respect.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →
By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, including section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: SECTION 1. The Oil Policy Committee, as reconstituted by this order, is hereby continued. SEC. 2. The Chairman of the Oil Policy Committee shall provide policy direction, coordination, and surveillance of the oil import control program established by Proclamation No. 3279 of March 10, 1959, as amended, including approval of regulations hereafter issued pursuant to such proclamation. He shall perform those functions after receiving the advice of the Oil Policy Committee and in accordance with guidance from the Assistant to the President with responsibility in the area of economic affairs. SEC. 3. The Oil Policy Committee shall henceforth consist of the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, as Chairman, and the Secretaries of State, Defense, the Interior, and Commerce, the Attorney General, and the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, as members. The President may, from time to time, designate other officials to serve as members of the Committee. The Chairman may create subcommittees of the Committee to study and report to the Committee concerning specified subject matters. SEC. 4. The Oil Policy Committee shall consult with and advise the Chairman on oil import policy, including the operation of the control program under Proclamation No. 3279, as amended, and on recommendations for changes in the program by the issuance of new proclamations with respect to it, or otherwise. SEC. 5. Section 6 of Proclamation No. 3279 of March 10, 1959, as amended, is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 6. The Chairman of the Oil Policy Committee shall maintain a constant surveillance of imports of petroleum and its primary derivatives in respect to the national security and, after consultation with the Oil Policy Committee, he shall inform the President of any circumstances which, in the Chairman's opinion might indicate the need for further Presidential action under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. 1862), as amended. In the event prices of crude oil or its products or derivatives should be increased after the effective date of this proclamation, such surveillance shall include a determination as to whether such increase or increases are necessary to accomplish the national security objectives of section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, and of this proclamation." SEC. 6. So much of the personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds employed, used, held, available, or to be made available in connection with the functions transferred by sections 2 and 5 of this order from the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness to the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, as Chairman of the Oil Policy Committee, as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall determine, in conformity with section 202 (b) of the Budget and Accounting Act of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 581c (b)), shall be transferred at such time or times as he shall direct for use in connection with the functions transferred. RICHARD NIXON The White House, February 7, 1973.