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Executive Order 14056 Revoked 🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority Constitutional Fidelity (+0.73) 📜 Art. II §2: Commander-in-Chief Supervisory Authority

Executive Order 14056—The National Space Council

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Wednesday, December 1, 2021
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6 min read (1,242 words)
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86 Fed. Reg. 68871

Executive Brief • At a Glance

⏱️ 6 min read (1,242 words) • ● Revoked
🎯 Primary Mandate

The Council shall be composed of: (a) the Vice President, who shall be Chair of the Council; (b) the Secretary of State; (c) the Secretary of Defense; (d) the Secretary of the Interior; (e) the Secretary of Agriculture; (f) the Secretary of Commerce; (g) the Secretary of Labor; (h) the Secretary of Transportation; (i) the Secretary of Energy; (j) the Secretary of Education; (k) the Secretary of Homeland Security; (l) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; (m) the Director of National Intelligence; (n) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; (o) the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; (p) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy; (q) the Assistant to the President for…

⚖️ Constitutional Footing
🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority
Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
📜 Art. II §2: Commander-in-Chief Supervisory Authority
🏛️ Scope & Affected Sectors
Armed Forces & Military Establishments Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises Sovereign State Governments & Localities Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

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

Signed by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on December 1, 2021, this order concerns The National Space Council. The National Space Council (Council), as authorized under Title V of Public Law 100-685, advises and assists the President regarding national space policy and strategy. This order sets forth the Council's membership, duties, and responsibilities. Sec. 2 . Membership of the National Space Council .

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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Membership of the National Space Council

The Council shall be composed of: (a) the Vice President, who shall be Chair of the Council; (b) the Secretary of State; (c) the Secretary of Defense; (d) the Secretary of the Interior; (e) the Secretary of Agriculture; (f) the Secretary of Commerce; (g) the Secretary of Labor; (h) the Secretary of Transportation; (i) the Secretary of Energy; (j) the Secretary of Education; (k) the Secretary of Homeland Security; (l) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; (m) the Director of National Intelligence; (n) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; (o) the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; (p) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy; (q) the Assistant to the President for…

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Functions and Operations of the Council

The Council shall advise and assist the President on space policy and strategy.

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Responsibilities of the Chair

The Chair shall serve as the President's principal advisor on national space policy and strategy.

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National Space Policy Planning Process

The Council shall establish a process for developing and coordinating the implementation of national space policy and strategy.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners
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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 1 (Maximum Authority)
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"When the President acts pursuant to an express or implied authorization of Congress, his authority is at its maximum, for it includes all that he possesses in his own right plus all that Congress can delegate."

— Justice Robert H. Jackson, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
JM

James Madison

Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy

"The constitutional magistracy was designed not to invent policy, but to be the faithful instrument of the laws passed by the people's representatives." — Speech in the First Congress (1789)

Madison would approve the structural posture of this order. The President acts strictly in subordination to statutory authority granted under Article II, Section 3 ("take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"). The checks and balances hold firm because the policy origin remains with the legislature.

Madisonian Stance: Concurring (Statutory)
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
55 / 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

Low Friction

The President operates strictly as the constitutional Chief Executive, carrying out policy established by Congress with strong statutory backing.

Benchmark: Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
⚖️ 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%).
ℹ️
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
1,242
7,978 characters
Estimated Read Time
6 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
18.2
Post-Graduate Legal
Language Tone Score
+0.73
Constitutional Fidelity
How is this scored?
Text size:

Official Archival Text

View Source Document

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 . #sec-1

Purpose . The National Space Council (Council), as authorized under Title V of Public Law 100-685, advises and assists the President regarding national space policy and strategy. This order sets forth the Council's membership, duties, and responsibilities.

Sec. 2 . #sec-2

Membership of the National Space Council . The Council shall be composed of: (a) the Vice President, who shall be Chair of the Council; (b) the Secretary of State; (c) the Secretary of Defense; (d) the Secretary of the Interior; (e) the Secretary of Agriculture; (f) the Secretary of Commerce; (g) the Secretary of Labor; (h) the Secretary of Transportation; (i) the Secretary of Energy; (j) the Secretary of Education; (k) the Secretary of Homeland Security; (l) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; (m) the Director of National Intelligence; (n) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; (o) the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs; (p) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy; (q) the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy; (r) the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor; (s) the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; (t) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and (u) the heads of other executive departments and agencies (agencies) and other senior officials within the Executive Office of the President, as determined by the Chair.

Sec. 3 . #sec-3

Functions and Operations of the Council . (a) The Council shall advise and assist the President on space policy and strategy. In particular, it shall: (i) review, develop, and provide recommendations to the President on space policy and strategy; (ii) coordinate implementation of space policy and strategy; (iii) synchronize the Nation's civil, commercial, and national security space activities in furtherance of the objectives of the President's national space policy and strategy; (iv) facilitate resolution of differences among agencies on space-related policy and strategy matters; (v) enable interagency cooperation, coordination, and information exchange on space activities; and (vi) perform such other duties as the President may, from time to time, prescribe. (b) The operation of the Council shall not interfere with the existing lines of authority in or responsibilities of any agency. (c) The Council shall have a staff, headed by a civilian Executive Secretary appointed by the President. (d) The Council shall meet at least annually. (e) The Council shall consider and provide recommendations to the President on any space-related issue as determined by the Chair.

Sec. 4 . #sec-4

Responsibilities of the Chair . (a) The Chair shall serve as the President's principal advisor on national space policy and strategy. (b) The Chair shall establish procedures and set the agenda for Council sessions to address Presidential priorities. (c) The Chair may recommend to the President candidates for the position of Executive Secretary. (d) The Chair may invite the heads of other agencies, other senior officials in the Executive Office of the President, and other Federal employees to participate in Council meetings. (e) The Chair or, upon the Chair's direction, the Executive Secretary, may develop budget recommendations for submission to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget that reflect the President's space policy and strategy, as well as provide advice concerning budget submissions by agencies related to the President's space policies and strategies.

Sec. 5 . #sec-5

National Space Policy Planning Process . (a) The Council shall establish a process for developing and coordinating the implementation of national space policy and strategy. (b) The head of each agency that conducts space-related activities shall, to the extent permitted by law, conform such activities to the President's national space policy and strategy. (c) On space matters relating primarily to national security, the Council shall coordinate with the National Security Council (NSC) to develop space policy and strategy consistent with NSC priorities and practices.

Sec. 6 . #sec-6

Users' Advisory Group . (a) The Council shall convene a Users' Advisory Group (Group) pursuant to section 121 of Public Law 101-611, composed of non-Federal representatives of industries and other persons involved in aeronautical and space activities. (b) Members of the Group shall serve without compensation for their work for the Group. Members of the Group, while engaged in the work of the Group, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, to the extent permitted by law for persons serving intermittently in Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), consistent with the availability of funds. (c) The Group shall report directly to the Council and shall provide advice or work product solely to the Council. (d) The Group shall provide advice and recommendations to the Council on matters related to space policy and strategy, including Government policies, laws, regulations, treaties, international instruments, programs, and practices across the civil, commercial, and national security space sectors.

Sec. 7 . #sec-7

Administrative Provisions . (a) To aid in the performance of the functions of the Council: (i) the Office of Administration in the Executive Office of the President shall provide administrative support to the Council, to the extent permitted by law and within existing appropriations; and (ii) legal advice to the Council with respect to its work and functions shall be provided exclusively by the Office of the Counsel to the President and the Counsel to the Vice President. (b) To the extent practicable and permitted by law, including the Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535), and within existing appropriations, agencies serving on the Council, components of the Executive Office of the President, and interagency councils and committees that affect space policy or strategy shall make resources, including personnel, office support, and printing, available to the Council as reasonably requested by the Chair or, upon the Chair's direction, the Executive Secretary. (c) Agencies shall cooperate with the Council through the Chair, or upon the Chair's request, the Executive Secretary, and provide such information and advice to the Council as it may reasonably request, to the extent permitted by law, including information regarding agencies' current and planned space activities. (d) This order supersedes Executive Order 13803 of June 30, 2017 (Reviving the National Space Council), and Executive Order 13906 of February 13, 2020 (Amending Executive Order 13803 - Reviving the National Space Council), and those orders are revoked. To the extent this order is inconsistent with any provision of any previous Executive Order or Presidential Memorandum, this order shall control. (e) If any provision of this order or the application of such provision is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and other dissimilar applications of such provision shall not be affected.

Sec. 8 . #sec-8

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. JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR. The White House, December 1, 2021.

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Referenced By Later Executive Orders (1)

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

Donald Trump • 2025-12-18
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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 14,056, 86 Fed. Reg. 68,871 (Dec. 1, 2021).