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Executive Order 11725 ⚖️✨ Zone 2: Zone of Twilight Constitutional Neutral (+0.02) 📜 Art. II §2: Commander-in-Chief Supervisory Authority

Executive Order 11725—Transfer of Certain Functions of the Office of Emergency Preparedness

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Wednesday, June 27, 1973
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7 min read (1,424 words)

Executive Brief • At a Glance

⏱️ 7 min read (1,424 words) • ● In Effect
🎯 Primary Mandate

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is designated and empowered to exercise, without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President: (1) All authority vested in the President by the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, as amended, and assigned or delegated to the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness by Executive Order No. 11575 of December 31, 1970, as amended by Executive Order No. 11662 of March 29, 1972.

⚖️ Constitutional Footing
⚖️✨ Zone 2: Zone of Twilight
Concurrent Authority / Congressional Silence
📜 Art. II §2: Commander-in-Chief Supervisory Authority
🏛️ Scope & Affected Sectors
Armed Forces & Military Establishments Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants Private Citizens & Property Owners

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

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

Signed by President Richard Nixon on June 27, 1973, this order concerns Transfer of Certain Functions of the Office of Emergency Preparedness. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is designated and empowered to exercise, without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President: (1) All authority vested in the President by the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, as amended, and assigned or delegated to the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness by Executive Order No. 11575 of December 31, 1970, as amended by Executive Order No.…

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

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The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is designated and empowered to exercise, without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President: (1) All authority vested in the President by the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, as amended, and assigned or delegated to the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness by Executive Order No. 11575 of December 31, 1970, as amended by Executive Order No. 11662 of March 29, 1972.

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All authority which was vested in the Office of Emergency Preparedness, or the Director thereof, by the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, as amended, and which was transferred to the President by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973.

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All authority which was vested in the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness with respect to determining whether a major disaster has occurred within the meaning of (A) section 16 of the act of September 23, 1950, as amended, (20 U.S.C. 646), (B) section 7 of the act of September 30, 1950, as amended (20 U.S.C. 241-1), and (C) section 762(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as added by section 161(a) of the Education Amendments of 1972, Public Law 92-318, 86 Stat. 288 at 299 (relating to the furnishing by the Commissioner of Education of disaster relief assistance for educational purposes), and which was transferred to the President by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973.

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The Secretary of the Treasury is designated and empowered to exercise, without approval, ratification, or other action of the President, all authority which was vested in the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness by section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862), and which was transferred to the President by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners 🏛️ Public Health & Medical Institutions
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The Framers' Constitutional Council

1787 Prism

Evaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.

⚖️✨ Zone 2 (Zone of Twilight)
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"When the President acts in absence of either a congressional grant or denial of authority, he can only rely upon his own independent powers, but there is a zone of twilight in which he and Congress may have concurrent authority."

— Justice Robert H. Jackson, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) Concurrent Authority / Congressional Silence
JM

James Madison

Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy

"Power is of an encroaching nature, and it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it." — Federalist No. 48 (1788)

Madison would view this order with watchful scrutiny. Operating in the 'Zone of Twilight' where Congress is silent, each such directive establishes an administrative precedent that steadily expands the executive perimeter at the expense of legislative primacy.

Madisonian Stance: Vigilant / Cautionary
AH

Alexander Hamilton

The Energetic Executive & Unified Command

"The direction of war implies the direction of the common strength; and the power of directing and employing the common strength must be under the direction of the single hand of the Executive." — Federalist No. 74 (1788)

Hamilton would forcefully champion executive discretion here. For foreign entanglements, commerce defense, and national security, deliberative assemblies are too slow and faction-ridden. A unified, energetic Executive exercising swift command is precisely what the Philadelphia Convention intended for national preservation.

Hamiltonian Stance: Strong Prerogative Support
GM

George Mason

Bill of Rights, Due Process & 10th Amendment

"The president will be surrounded by flatterers and sycophants... and the great powers of the executive will gradually absorb the liberties of the people." — Cato IV (Anti-Federalist, 1787)

The Anti-Federalist prism advises continuous democratic vigilance. Even routine administrative directives aggregate centralized federal power away from town halls and state assemblies toward a distant executive apparatus.

Anti-Federalist Stance: Eternal Vigilance Required
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Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions

An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.

⚖️ Discretionary Twilight Zone
62 / 100 friction index
Dimension 1 • Art. I, §1 & §8

Legislative Encroachment & Purse

High Friction

Touches upon core congressional prerogatives: raises appropriations reallocation, tariff imposition, or statutory preemption questions.

Benchmark: Power of the purse, taxes/tariffs, and rule of law reserved to Congress.
Dimension 2 • Art. II, §1 & §3

Executive Scope & Faithfulness

Moderate Friction

Directs internal executive branch machinery, agency workflows, and federal personnel.

Benchmark: Faithfully execute laws enacted by Congress vs. unilateral decree.
Dimension 3 • 10th Amendment

Federalism & State Sovereignty

High Friction

Creates friction with the Tenth Amendment by conditioning state grants, mandating local compliance, or preempting state police powers.

Benchmark: Police powers and un-delegated responsibilities reserved to the States.
Dimension 4 • 5th & 14th Amendments

Due Process & Individual Rights

Moderate Friction

Applies regulatory or compliance standards to private contractors or commercial entities.

Benchmark: Protection of private property, contracts, liberty, and procedural justice.
Dimension 5 • Separation of Powers

Youngstown Jacksonian Tier

Moderate Friction

The order relies on inherent Article II executive discretion, civil service management, or foreign diplomacy where Congress has neither expressly approved nor prohibited action.

Benchmark: Concurrent Authority / Congressional Silence
⚖️ Audit Synthesis

This order operates within Justice Jackson’s Zone of Twilight, resting upon concurrent presidential authority or congressional silence.

Weighted composite: Art. I (25%), Art. II (25%), Federalism (15%), Due Process (15%), Youngstown (20%).
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How to read these dimensions: Executive power expands whenever an administration acts without explicit statutory authorization from Congress (Article I), touches upon police powers historically reserved to the states (Tenth Amendment), or limits private rights and property without judicial process. A low friction score indicates strict concordance with enacted law; a high friction score highlights orders testing the limits of presidential discretion.
Total Words
1,424
8,879 characters
Estimated Read Time
7 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
15.7
College Level
Language Tone Score
+0.02
Constitutional Neutral
How is this scored?
Text size:

Official Archival Text

View Source Document

Under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1958, Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973, the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2061, et seq.), the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 4401, et seq.), and Section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: SECTION 1. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is designated and empowered to exercise, without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President: (1) All authority vested in the President by the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, as amended, and assigned or delegated to the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness by Executive Order No. 11575 of December 31, 1970, as amended by Executive Order No. 11662 of March 29, 1972. (2) All authority which was vested in the Office of Emergency Preparedness, or the Director thereof, by the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, as amended, and which was transferred to the President by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973. (3) All authority which was vested in the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness with respect to determining whether a major disaster has occurred within the meaning of (A) section 16 of the act of September 23, 1950, as amended, (20 U.S.C. 646), (B) section 7 of the act of September 30, 1950, as amended (20 U.S.C. 241-1), and (C) section 762(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as added by section 161(a) of the Education Amendments of 1972, Public Law 92-318, 86 Stat. 288 at 299 (relating to the furnishing by the Commissioner of Education of disaster relief assistance for educational purposes), and which was transferred to the President by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973. (4) All authority vested in the Office of Emergency Preparedness or the Director thereof, including serving as Chairman of the National Council on Federal Disaster Assistance, by Executive Order No. 11526 of April 22, 1970. (5) All authority vested in the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness by Executive Order No. 11678 of August 16, 1972, relating to the administration of certain temporary disaster relief provisions, and (6) All other incidental authority relating to matters described in paragraphs (1) through (5) of this section that has been vested in the Office of Emergency Preparedness or the Director thereof by the President by Executive order, proclamation, letter, memorandum, or other form of directive, or otherwise. SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Treasury is designated and empowered to exercise, without approval, ratification, or other action of the President, all authority which was vested in the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness by section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862), and which was transferred to the President by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973. SEC. 3. All authority vested in the Director of the Office, of Emergency Preparedness as of June 30, 1973, by Executive order, proclamation, or other directive issued by or on behalf of the President or otherwise, other than that specified in section 1 (relating to disaster relief), and section 2 (relating to import investigations) of this order, is hereby transferred to the Administrator of General Services who shall exercise such authority in conformance with such guidance as may be provided by the National Security Council and, with respect to the economic and disposal aspects of stockpiling of strategic and critical materials by the Council on Economic Policy. Those functions include, but are not limited to functions under (1) Executive Order No. 10242 of May 8, 1951, relating to employment of certain part-time and temporary advisory personnel under the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950; (2) Executive Order No. 10296 of October 2, 1951, as amended, relating to the designation of critical defense housing areas pursuant to section 101 of the Defense Housing and Community Facilities and Services Act of 1951, 42 U.S.C.1591; (3) Executive Order No. 10421 of December 31, 1952, as amended, relating to the protection of facilities important to the national security; (4) Executive Order No. 10480 of August 14, 1953, as amended, relating to the administration of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended; (5) Executive Order No. 10494 of October 14, 1953, relating to the liquidation of the Economic Stabilization Agency created under the Defense Production Act of 1950 as amended; (6) Executive Order No. 10601 of March 21, 1955 (section 3), relating to the designation of strategic materials to be acquired in return for surplus agricultural commodities (Supplemental Stockpile); (7) Executive Order No. 10634 of August 25, 1955, relating to loans under the Defense Production Act of 1950 with respect to defense facilities damaged by a major disaster; (8) Executive Order No. 10705 of April 17, 1957, relating to the radio stations during time of war (see Executive Order No. 11556 of September 4, 1970); (9) Executive Order No. 10900 of January 5, 1961, relating to the Supplemental Stockpile; (10) Executive Order No. 10952 of July 20, 1961, relating to civil defense functions; (11) Executive Order No. 10958 of August 14, 1961, relating to civil defense functions; (12) Executive Order No. 11051 of September 27, 1962, (except sections 404(a) and 405), relating to nonmilitary emergency preparedness planning, particularly under the National Security Act of 1947, as amended, and related functions under the Defense Production Act of 1950, the Strategic and Critical Materials Stockpiling Act, the Supplemental Stockpile and the Buy American Act; (13) Executive Order No. 11179 of September 22, 1964, relating to the National Defense Executive Reserve; (14) Executive Order No. 11415 of June 24, 1968, relating to the National Health Resources Advisory Committee; (15) Executive Order No. 11490 of October 28, 1969, relating to the assignment of emergency preparedness functions to Federal departments and agencies; (16) Executive Order No. 11556 of September 4, 1970, relating to telecommunications contingency planning; (17) Section 203 (n) of the Federal Property and Administration Services Act of 1949, as amended (40 U.S.C. 484(n)), relating to the disposal of surplus property; (18) All other incidental authority relating to matters described in paragraphs (1) through (17) of this section that has been vested in the Office of Emergency Preparedness or the Director thereof by the President by Executive order, proclamation, letter, memorandum, or other form of directive, or otherwise. SEC. 4. All rules, regulations, orders, determinations, permits, contracts, certifications, licenses, and privileges (including all delegations of authority and delegations of authority to redelegate) which have been issued, made, granted, or allowed to become effective by the President, the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, or the Office of Emergency Preparedness or any official thereof, in the performance of functions which are transferred by this order and which are in effect at the time this order takes effect, shall continue in effect according to their terms until modified, terminated, superseded, set aside, or revoked by the President, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of the Treasury, or the Administrator of General Services, as the case may be, or other authorized officials, or by operation of law. SEC. 5. Pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 703 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2153), the Administrator is authorized to establish a subordinate agency within the General Services Administration to perform such of the functions under the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, as have been delegated to him under this order or any other Executive order, as the Administrator deems appropriate. The Administrator is authorized to appoint a head of that agency who shall be compensated at the rate now or hereafter established for level V of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5316). That agency and its head shall perform such functions, in addition to functions under the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, as the Administrator may, from time to time, prescribe. SEC. 6. (a) The transfer of functions accomplished by this Executive order shall in no way be deemed to diminish the need for, or the scope or priority of, the performance of those functions. (b) All Federal executive departments and agencies are directed to cooperate fully with officials exercising authorities transferred under this order. SEC. 7. Sections 404 (a) and 405 of Executive Order No. 11051, as amended, are hereby revoked. SEC. 8. This order shall be effective as of July 1,1973. RICHARD NIXON The White House, June 27, 1973.

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Referenced By Later Executive Orders (4)

Subsequent presidents who cited, amended, continued, or revoked this directive in later orders.

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 11,725 (June 27, 1973), https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-11725-transfer-certain-functions-the-office-emergency-preparedness.