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Executive Order 12909 Constitutional Fidelity (+0.23)

Executive Order 12909—Order of Succession of Officers to Act as Secretary of the Air Force

William J. Clinton William J. Clinton
•
Friday, April 22, 1994
•
2 min read (425 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 William J. Clinton on 1994-04-22, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Order of Succession of Officers to Act as Secretary of the Air Force." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: An early statesman would view this measure favorably under Article II, Section 3 (the Take Care Clause). The President operates strictly within the ambit of executing established laws and supervising departmental subordinates, respecting the supremacy of the legislative branch without fabricating novel statutory obligations.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ Succession to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary of the Air Force pursuant to this order shall be on a temporary or interim basis and shall not have the effect of vacating the statutory appointment held by the successor.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
Total Words
425
2,437 characters
Estimated Read Time
2 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
14.7
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.23
Framers' Alignment index
📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations 

Exec. Order No. 12909, William J. Clinton (Apr 22, 1994). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-12909-order-succession-officers-act-secretary-the-air-force.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 3347 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Succession to Act as the Secretary of the Air Force. (a) In the event of the death, permanent disability, or resignation of the Secretary of the Air Force, the incumbents holding the positions designated below, in the order indicated, shall act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary of the Air Force: (1) The Under Secretary of the Air Force. (2) The Assistant Secretaries and General Counsel of the Air Force, in the order fixed by their length of service as permanent appointees in such positions. (3) The Chief of Staff of the Air Force. (b) In the event of the absence or temporary disability of the Secretary of the Air Force, the incumbents holding the Department of the Air Force positions designated in paragraph (a) of this section, in the order indicated, shall act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary of the Air Force. (1) The designation of an Acting Secretary of the Air Force applies only for the duration of the Secretary's absence or disability, and does not affect the authority of the Secretary to resume the powers of the Secretary's office. (2) In the event that the Secretary of the Air Force is temporarily absent from the position, the Secretary of the Air Force may continue to exercise the powers and fulfill the duties of his office during the absence, notwithstanding the provisions of this order. (c) Precedence among those officers designated in paragraph (a) of this section who have the same date of appointment shall be determined by the Secretary of the Air Force at the time that such appointments are made. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, an officer shall not act for or exercise the powers of the Secretary of the Air Force under this order if that officer serves only in an acting capacity in the position that would otherwise entitle him to do so. Sec. 2. Temporary Nature of Succession. Succession to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary of the Air Force pursuant to this order shall be on a temporary or interim basis and shall not have the effect of vacating the statutory appointment held by the successor. William J. Clinton The White House, April 22, 1994. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11 a.m., April 25, 1994]