Presidential Actions

By this Message, I officially inform you of the death of James Earl Carter, Jr., the thirty-ninth President of the United States.

     President Carter was a man of character, courage, and compassion, whose lifetime of service defined him as one of the most influential statesmen in our history.  He embodied the very best of America:  A humble servant of God and the people.  A heroic champion of global peace and human rights, and an honorable leader whose moral clarity and hopeful vision lifted our Nation and changed our world.

     The son of a farmer and a nurse, President Carter’s remarkable career in public service began in 1943 as a cadet at the United States Naval Academy.  He later served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets before becoming a decorated lieutenant, and being selected to join the elite nuclear submarine program.

     After his father died, he shifted from active duty to the Navy Reserve and returned home to Plains, Georgia, to help manage his family’s peanut farm.  He worked hard stewarding the land while leading his community as a church deacon, Sunday school teacher, and board member of a hospital and library.  His deep faith inspired a passion for public service that led him to be elected State Senator, Georgia’s 76th Governor, and ultimately President of the United States.

     As President, he understood that Government must be as good as its people — and his faith in the people was boundless just as his belief in America was limitless and his hope for our common future was perennial.

     With President Carter’s leadership, the modern Department of Education and the Department of Energy were created.  He championed conservation and his commitment to a more just world was at the heart of his foreign policy, leading on nuclear nonproliferation, signing the Panama Canal treaties, and mediating the historic 1978 Camp David Accords.  His partnership with Vice President Walter Mondale is one that future administrations strived to achieve.

     Following his Presidency, President Carter advanced an agenda that elevated the least among us.  Guided by an unwavering belief in the power of human goodness and the God-given dignity of every human being, he worked tirelessly around the globe to broker peace; eradicate disease; house the homeless; and protect human rights, freedom, and democracy.

Through his extraordinary moral leadership, President Carter lived a noble life full of meaning and purpose.  And as a trusted spiritual leader, he shepherded people through seasons of pain and joy, inspiring them through the power of his example and healing them through the power of his guidance.

     As we mourn the loss of President Carter, we hold the memory of his beloved Rosalynn, his wife of over 77 years, close in our hearts.  Exemplifying hope, warmth, and service, she and her husband inspired the Nation.  The love Rosalynn and President Carter shared is the definition of partnership, and their devotion to public service is the definition of patriotism. 

     May President Carter’s memory continue to be a light pointing us forward.  May we continue to be guided by his spirit in our Nation and in our world.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 30, 2024.

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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.  All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed on January 9, 2025, as a mark of respect for James Earl Carter, Jr., the thirty-ninth President of the United States. 

Sec. 2.  The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on January 9, 2025, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.

Sec. 3.  January 9, 2025, shall be considered as falling within the scope of Executive Order 11582 of February 11, 1971, and of 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 6103(b) and other similar statutes insofar as they relate to the pay and leave of employees of the United States. 

Sec. 4.  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement this order.

Sec. 5.  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 30, 2024.

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TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES:

It is my solemn duty to announce officially the death of James Earl Carter, Jr., the thirty-ninth President of the United States, on December 29, 2024.

President Carter was a man of character, courage, and compassion, whose lifetime of service defined him as one of the most influential statesmen in our history.  He embodied the very best of America:  A humble servant of God and the people.  A heroic champion of global peace and human rights, and an honorable leader whose moral clarity and hopeful vision lifted our Nation and changed our world.

The son of a farmer and a nurse, President Carter’s remarkable career in public service began in 1943 as a cadet at the United States Naval Academy.  He later served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets before becoming a decorated lieutenant and being selected to join the elite nuclear submarine program.

After his father died, he shifted from active duty to the Navy Reserve and returned home to Plains, Georgia, to help manage his family’s peanut farm.  He worked hard stewarding the land while leading his community as a church deacon, Sunday school teacher, and board member of a hospital and library.  His deep faith inspired a passion for public service that led him to be elected State Senator, Georgia’s 76th Governor, and ultimately President of the United States.  

As President, he understood that Government must be as good as its people — and his faith in the people was boundless just as his belief in America was limitless and his hope for our common future was perennial.

With President Carter’s leadership, the modern Department of Education and the Department of Energy were created.  He championed conservation, and his commitment to a more just world was at the heart of his foreign policy, leading on nuclear nonproliferation, signing the Panama Canal treaties, and mediating the historic 1978 Camp David Accords.  His partnership with Vice President Walter Mondale is one that future administrations strived to achieve.

Following his Presidency, President Carter advanced an agenda that elevated the least among us.  Guided by an unwavering belief in the power of human goodness and the God‑given dignity of every human being, he worked tirelessly around the globe to broker peace; eradicate disease; house the homeless; and protect human rights, freedom, and democracy.

Through his extraordinary moral leadership, President Carter lived a noble life full of meaning and purpose.  And as a trusted spiritual leader, he shepherded people through seasons of pain and joy, inspiring them through the power of his example and healing them through the power of his guidance.

As we mourn the loss of President Carter, we hold the memory of his beloved Rosalynn, his wife of over 77 years, close in our hearts.  Exemplifying hope, warmth, and service, she and her husband inspired the Nation.  The love Rosalynn and President Carter shared is the definition of partnership, and their devotion to public service is the definition of patriotism.

May President Carter’s memory continue to be a light pointing us forward.  May we continue to be guided by his spirit in our Nation and in our world.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, in honor and tribute to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr., and as an expression of public sorrow, do hereby direct that the flag of the United States be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions for a period of 30 days from the day of his death.  I also direct that, for the same length of time, the representatives of the United States in foreign countries shall make similar arrangements for the display of the flag at half‑staff over their embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

     I hereby order that suitable honors be rendered by units of the Armed Forces under orders of the Secretary of Defense.

     I do further appoint January 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States.  I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr.  I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of North Dakota and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires and straight-line winds from October 5 to October 6, 2024.

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 wildfires and straight-line winds in the counties of McKenzie and Williams.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. Robert Little III of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

###

The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves North Dakota Disaster Declaration appeared first on The White House.

     I am returning herewith without my approval S. 4199, the “Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2024” or the “JUDGES Act of 2024.”

     S. 4199 seeks to hastily add judgeships with just a few weeks left in the 118th Congress.  The House of Representative’s hurried action fails to resolve key questions in the legislation, especially regarding how the new judgeships are allocated, and neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate explored fully how the work of senior status judges and magistrate judges affects the need for new judgeships.  The efficient and effective administration of justice requires that these questions about need and allocation be further studied and answered before we create permanent judgeships for life-tenured judges.

     S. 4199 would create new judgeships in States where Senators have sought to hold open existing judicial vacancies.  Those efforts to hold open vacancies suggest that concerns about judicial economy and caseload are not the true motivating force behind passage of this bill now.
     
     Therefore, I am vetoing this bill.
 
 
 
                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
 
 
 
THE WHITE HOUSE,
    December 23, 2024.

The post Message to the Senate on the President’s Veto of S. 4199 appeared first on The White House.

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.  Statutory Pay Systems.  The rates of basic pay or salaries of the statutory pay systems (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5302(1)), as adjusted under 5 U.S.C. 5303, are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof:

     (a)  The General Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5332(a)) at Schedule 1;

     (b)  The Foreign Service Schedule (22 U.S.C. 3963) at Schedule 2; and

     (c)  The schedules for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (38 U.S.C. 7306, 7401, 7404; section 301(a) of Public Law 102–40) at Schedule 3.

     Sec. 2.  Senior Executive Service.  The ranges of rates of basic pay for senior executives in the Senior Executive Service, as established pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5382, are set forth on Schedule 4 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

     Sec. 3.  Certain Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries.  The rates of basic pay or salaries for the following offices and positions are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof:

     (a)  The Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5311–5318) at Schedule 5;

     (b)  The Vice President (3 U.S.C. 104) and the Congress (2 U.S.C. 4501) at Schedule 6; and

     (c)  Justices and judges (28 U.S.C. 5, 44(d), 135, 252, and 461(a)) at Schedule 7.

     Sec. 4.  Uniformed Services.  The rates of monthly basic pay (37 U.S.C. 203(a)) for members of the uniformed services, as adjusted under 37 U.S.C. 1009, and the rate of monthly cadet or midshipman pay (37 U.S.C. 203(c)) are set forth on Schedule 8 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

     Sec. 5.  Locality-Based Comparability Payments. 

     (a)  Pursuant to section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, and my authority to implement an alternative level of comparability payments under section 5304a of title 5, United States Code, locality-based comparability payments shall be paid in accordance with Schedule 9 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

     (b)  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement these payments and to publish appropriate notice of such payments in the Federal Register.

     Sec. 6.  Administrative Law Judges.  Pursuant to section 5372 of title 5, United States Code, the rates of basic pay for administrative law judges are set forth on Schedule 10 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

     Sec. 7.  Effective Dates.  Schedule 8 is effective January 1, 2025.  The other schedules contained herein are effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2025.

     Sec. 8.  Prior Order Superseded.  Executive Order 14113 of December 21, 2023 (Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay), is superseded as of the effective dates specified in section 7 of this order.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 23, 2024.

The post Executive Order on Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay appeared first on The White House.

Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Madam President:)

In accordance with section 21304 of the American Relief Act, 2025 (H.R. 10545; the “Act”), I hereby designate as emergency requirements all funding (including the transfer and repurposing of funds) so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts.

The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed memorandum from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

                              Sincerely,



                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on the Designation of Funding as Emergency Requirements in Accordance with Section 21304 of the American Relief Act, 2025 appeared first on The White House.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:       Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(3)

               of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 506(a)(3) of the FAA to direct the drawdown of up to $571.3 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan. 

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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     By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. 801-946a), and in order to prescribe additions and amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, prescribed by Executive Order 12473 of April 13, 1984, as amended, it is hereby ordered as follows:

     Section 1.  Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, are amended as described in the Annex attached to and made a part of this order.

     Sec. 2.  With this order, I hereby prescribe regulations for the randomized selection of qualified personnel as members of a court-martial to the maximum extent practicable, pursuant to section 543 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Public Law 117-263 (10 U.S.C. 825(e)(4)).

     Sec. 3.  Except as provided in sections 4 and 5 of this order, these amendments shall take effect on the date of this order, subject to the following:

     (a)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the date of this order that was not punishable when committed or omitted.

     (b)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the date of this order, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if these amendments had not been prescribed.

     Sec. 4.  The amendments to Rule for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 908(c)(3), R.C.M. 1205(a), and R.C.M. 1209(a)(1) shall take effect on December 22, 2024, subject to the following:

     (a)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the effective date that was not punishable when committed or omitted.

     (b)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the  effective date, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if these amendments had not been prescribed.

     Sec. 5.  The amendment to R.C.M. 503(a)(1) shall take effect on December 23, 2024, subject to the following:

     (a)  Nothing in this amendment shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the effective date that was not punishable when committed or omitted.

     (b)  Nothing in this amendment shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the  effective date, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if this amendment had not been prescribed.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 20, 2024.

The post 2024 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States appeared first on The White House.

     By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

     Section 1.  Amendments to Executive Order 12793, as Amended.  Executive Order 12793 of March 20, 1992 (Continuing the Presidential Service Certificate and the Presidential Service Badge), as amended by Executive Order 13286 of February 28, 2003 (Amendment of Executive Orders, and Other Actions, in Connection With the Transfer of Certain Functions to the Secretary of Homeland Security), is further amended by:

     (a)  Amending section 1 to read as follows:

     “Section 1.  Presidential Service Certificate.  The Presidential Service Certificate (Certificate) is hereby continued, the design of which accompanies and is hereby made a part of this order.  The Certificate shall be awarded in the name of the President of the United States to members of the United States Uniformed Services who have been assigned to the White House Office; to military units and support facilities under the administration of the White House Military Office; or to other direct support positions within the Executive Office of the President (EOP).  The Certificate shall be awarded by the Secretary of the military department concerned, or, when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy, by the Secretary of Homeland Security, and, in the case of members of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, by the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, respectively.  The Certificate shall not be issued to any member who is issued a Vice Presidential Certificate, or similar EOP Certificate, for the same period of service.  Such assignment must be for a period of at least 1 year, subsequent to January 21, 1989.”; and

     (b)  Amending section 2 to read as follows:

     “Sec. 2.  Presidential Service Badge.  The Presidential Service Badge (Badge) is hereby continued, the design of which accompanies and is hereby made a part of this order.  The Badge shall be awarded to those members of the United States Uniformed Services who have been granted the Certificate and shall be awarded in the same manner in which the Certificate has been given.  The Badge shall be worn as a part of the uniform of those individuals under such regulations as their respective Secretaries may severally prescribe.”.

     Sec. 2.  Amendments to Executive Order 11926, as Amended.  Executive Order 11926 of July 19, 1976 (The Vice Presidential Service Badge), as amended by Executive Order 13286 and by Executive Order 13373 of March 10, 2005 (Amendments to Executive Order 11926 Relating to the Vice Presidential Service Badge), is further amended by:

     (a)  Amending section 1 to read as follows:

     “Section 1.  There is established a Vice Presidential Service Badge to be awarded in the name of the Vice President of the United States of America to members of the United States Uniformed Services who have been assigned to duty in the Office of the Vice President for a period of at least 1 year subsequent to December 19, 1974, or who have been assigned to perform duties predominantly for the Vice President for a period of at least 1 year subsequent to January 20, 2001, in the implementation of Public Law 93-346, as amended, or in military units and support facilities to which section 1 of Executive Order 12793 of March 20, 1992, as amended, refers.”;

     (b)  Amending section 2 to read as follows:

     “Sec. 2.  The Vice Presidential Service Badge may be awarded, upon recommendation of the Vice President’s designee (with the concurrence of the Director of the White House Military Office in the case of personnel in military units or support facilities to which section 1 of Executive Order 12793, as amended, refers), by the Secretary of the military department concerned, or, when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy, by the Secretary of Homeland Security, to military personnel of their respective services who have been assigned to duty in the Office of the Vice President and, in the case of members of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service so assigned, by the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, respectively.”;

     (c)  Amending section 4 to read as follows:

     “Sec. 4.  Upon award, the Vice Presidential Service Badge may be worn as a part of the uniform of an individual both during and after their assignment to duty in the Office of the Vice President.”; and

     (d)  Amending section 6 to read as follows:

     “Sec. 6.  Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1 and 2 of this order, any member of the United States Uniformed Services, who has been assigned to duty in the Office of the Vice President, or who has been assigned to perform duties predominantly for the Vice President, in the implementation of Public Law 93-346, as amended, or in military units and support facilities to which section 1 of Executive Order 12793, as amended, refers, is authorized, unless otherwise directed by the Director of the White House Military Office in the case of personnel in military units and support facilities to which section 1 of Executive Order 12793, as amended, refers, to wear the Vice Presidential Service Badge on their uniform commencing on the first day of such duty and thereafter while assigned to such duty.”.

     Sec. 3.  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 20, 2024.

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     1.  On April 22, 1985, the United States and Israel entered into the Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel (USIFTA), which the Congress approved in section 3 of the United States–Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985 (the “USIFTA Implementation Act”) (Public Law 99-47, 99 Stat. 82 (19 U.S.C. 2112 note)).  Section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act provides that, whenever the President determines that it is necessary to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, the President may proclaim such withdrawal, suspension, modification, or continuance of any duty, or such continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties, as the President determines to be required or appropriate to carry out the USIFTA.  In order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to agricultural trade with Israel, on July 27, 2004, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel concerning certain aspects of trade in agricultural products during the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2008 (United States-Israel Agreement Concerning Certain Aspects of Trade in Agricultural Products (the “2004 Agreement”)). 
    2.  In Proclamation 7826 of October 4, 2004, the President determined, pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act and consistent with the 2004 Agreement, that, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, it was necessary to provide duty-free access into the United States through December 31, 2008, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel.  Each year from 2008 through 2023, the United States and Israel entered into agreements to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement was in force for 1-year periods to allow additional time for the two governments to conclude an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.  To carry out the extension agreements, the President in Proclamations 8334 of December 31, 2008; 8467 of December 23, 2009; 8618 of December 21, 2010; 8770 of December 29, 2011; 8921 of December 20, 2012; 9072 of December 23, 2013; 9223 of December 23, 2014; 9383 of December 21, 2015; 9555 of December 15, 2016; 9687 of December 22, 2017; 9834 of December 21, 2018; 9974 of December 26, 2019; 10128 of December 22, 2020; 10326 of December 23, 2021; 10509 of December 23, 2022; and 10692 of December 29, 2023, modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to provide duty-free access into the United States for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, each time for an additional 1-year period.  On October 31, 2024, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement is in force through December 31, 2025, and to allow for further negotiations on an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.  Pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, I have determined that it is necessary, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, to provide duty-free access into the United States through the close of December 31, 2025, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, as provided in Annex I of this proclamation.
    3.  Proclamation 10053 of June 29, 2020, implemented the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 103 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (the “USMCA Implementation Act”) (Public Law 116-113, 134 Stat. 11, 15-17 (19 U.S.C. 4513)), incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out the USMCA.
    4.  In order to provide generally for the preferential tariff treatment being accorded under the USMCA, to set forth rules for determining whether goods imported into the customs territory of the United States are eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to certain originating goods of Canada, and to provide certain other treatment to originating goods for purposes of the USMCA, Proclamation 10053 modified the HTS as set forth in Annex I of Publication 5060 of the United States International Trade Commission (the “Commission”), entitled “Modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to Implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement” (Publication 5060), including by adding general note 11.  Proclamation 10053 further modified the HTS to reflect the termination of tariff treatment under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as set forth in Annex III of Publication 5060, including by deleting general note 12. 
    5.  In order to implement the initial stage of duty reduction provided for in the USMCA, to provide for future staged reductions in duties for originating goods provided for in the USMCA, and to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to certain goods provided for in the USMCA, Proclamation 10053 modified the HTS as set forth in Annex II of Publication 5060.  
    6.  A technical error was made in the modifications to U.S. note 3(d) to subchapter II of chapter 98 of the HTS, and certain references to general note 12 were inadvertently not modified.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the USMCA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.  
    7.  Proclamation 7987 of February 28, 2006, implemented the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 201 of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the “DR-CAFTA Act”) (Public Law 109-53, 119 Stat. 462, 467 (19 U.S.C. 4001 note)), incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out certain provisions of the DR-CAFTA.  
    8.  A rule of origin under the DR-CAFTA, found in general note 29 to the HTS, contains a reference to general note 12.  Proclamation 10053 deleted general note 12 but omitted a conforming change to the reference in general note 29.  I have determined that an additional modification to the HTS is necessary or appropriate to reflect this conforming change. 
    9.  Section 602 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182, 2152-54), made technical corrections to other laws, including replacing certain references to the NAFTA with references to the USMCA in sections 112 and 113(b) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (the “AGOA”) (title I of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 258-265 (19 U.S.C. 3721, 3722(b))), as amended by the Africa Investment Incentive Act of 2006 (title VI of Public Law 109-432, 120 Stat. 2922, 3190-94), and in sections 212(a), 213(b), and 213A(b) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (the “CBERA”) (title II of Public Law 98-67, 97 Stat. 369, 384-85, 388 (19 U.S.C. 2702(a)(1), 2703(b), 2703a(b))), as amended by the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (title II of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 275-288), the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006 (title V of Public Law 109-432, 109 Stat. 2922, 3181-87), and the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008 (subtitle D of Public Law 110-234, 122 Stat. 923, 1527-47).
    10.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA and the CBERA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.
    11.  Section 104(c) of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 (the “TPEA”) (Public Law 114–27, 129 Stat. 362, 365 (19 U.S.C. 2466a note)) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications that may be necessary to add the special tariff treatment symbol “D” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS for each article classified under a heading or subheading with the special tariff treatment symbol “A” or “A” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS.  Pursuant to section 104(c) of the TPEA, Proclamation 9466 of June 30, 2016, modified the HTS to add the special tariff treatment symbol “D” in the HTS as set forth in Annex III of that proclamation.     12.  The modifications to the HTS authorized in Proclamation 9466 included certain technical errors.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA, as authorized by section 104(c) of the TPEA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.     13.  Proclamation 6763 of December 23, 1994, implemented, with respect to the United States, the trade agreements resulting from the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, including Schedule XX-United States of America, annexed to the Marrakesh Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Schedule XX), that were entered into pursuant to sections 1102(a) and (e) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the “1988 Act”) (Public Law 100-418, 102 Stat. 1107, 1126 (19 U.S.C. 2902(a) and (e))), as amended by Public Law 103-49, 107 Stat. 239, and approved in section 101(a) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (the “URAA”) (Public Law 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809, 4814–15 (19 U.S.C. 3511(a))).      14.  Pursuant to the authority provided in section 111 of the URAA (19 U.S.C. 3521) and sections 1102(a) and (e) of the 1988 Act (19 U.S.C. 2902(a) and (e)), Proclamation 6763 included the staged reductions in rates of duty that the President determined to be necessary or appropriate to carry out the terms of Schedule XX.     15.  Section 1205(a) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1150 (19 U.S.C. 3005(a))) directs the Commission to keep the HTS under continuous review and to periodically recommend to the President such modifications to the HTS as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes set forth in that subsection.     16.  Pursuant to sections 1205(c) and (d) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1150-51 (19 U.S.C. 3005(c) and (d))), in 2010, 2015, and 2021, the Commission recommended modifications to the HTS to conform the HTS to amendments made to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and the Protocol thereto (the “Convention”).     17.  Section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1151 (19 U.S.C. 3006(a))) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the HTS based on the recommendations of the Commission under section 1205 of the 1988 Act if the President determines that the modifications are in conformity with United States obligations under the Convention and do not run counter to the national economic interest of the United States.     18.  Proclamation 8771 of December 29, 2011, Proclamation 9549 of December 1, 2016, and Proclamation 10326 of December 23, 2021, modified the HTS pursuant to section 1206 of the 1988 Act to conform the HTS to the amendments to the Convention.  However, the HTS modifications authorized in Proclamation 8771, Proclamation 9549, and Proclamation 10326 each included certain technical errors.     19.  Proclamation 8771 incorrectly modified the column 2 rate of duty for subheadings 0401.40.25 and 0401.50.25, and the “General” subcolumn rate of duty for column 1 and the column 2 rate of duty for subheading 6505.00.01.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment.     20.  Proclamation 9549 and Proclamation 10326 each created certain new subheadings with the special tariff treatment symbol “A” or “A” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS, but omitted the special tariff treatment symbol “D”.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.
    21.  Proclamation 10326 also included technical errors with respect to other subheadings.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment, including the tariff treatment previously proclaimed in Proclamation 6763.
    22.  In Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018, pursuant to section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (the “Trade Expansion Act”) (Public Law 87-794, 76 Stat. 872, 877 (19 U.S.C. 1862)), the President concurred with the finding of the Secretary of Commerce that steel articles, as defined in clause 1 of Proclamation 9705 (as amended by clause 8 of Proclamation 9711 of March 22, 2018), are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States, and decided to adjust the imports of steel articles by imposing a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on such articles imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico.  Proclamation 9740 of April 30, 2018, and Proclamation 9759 of May 31, 2018, modified the HTS to provide quotas with respect to steel articles imported from certain countries.  Proclamation 10328 of December 27, 2021, Proclamation 10356 of March 31, 2022, Proclamation 10406 of May 31, 2022, and Proclamation 10691 of December 28, 2023, modified the HTS to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to steel articles imported from certain countries. 
    23.  On July 1, 2024, the Commission, in cooperation with the interagency Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, implemented certain changes in 10-digit statistical reporting categories of the HTS under section 484(f) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (ch. 497, 46 Stat. 590, 723 (19 U.S.C. 1484(f))), as amended by section 637 of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057, 2202).  I have determined that certain conforming amendments to the HTS are necessary in order to ensure the maintenance of duty rates, quotas, and tariff-rate quotas for steel articles under tariff categories that were modified.
    24.  Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the “Trade Act”) (Public Law 93-618, 88 Stat. 1978, 2073 (19 U.S.C. 2483)), authorizes the President to embody in the HTS the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions taken thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.  
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, section 104(c) of the TPEA, section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act, section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, and section 604 of the Trade Act, do proclaim that:  
    (1)  In order to implement tariff commitments under the 2004 Agreement through December 31, 2025, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.
    (2)  The modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS made by Annex I of this proclamation shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.
    (3)  In order to make the modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS described in paragraphs 3 through 24 of this proclamation, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.  These modifications and technical rectifications shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.
    (4)  Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                        JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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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.  All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, the day before Christmas Day.

     Sec. 2.  The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 24, 2024, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.

     Sec. 3.  December 24, 2024, shall be considered as falling within the scope of Executive Order 11582 of February 11, 1971, and of 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 6103(b) and other similar statutes insofar as they relate to the pay and leave of employees of the United States.

     Sec. 4.  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement this order.

     Sec. 5.  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 18, 2024.

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On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, the President signed into law:

S. 3960, which establishes a good faith exception to the imposition of fines for false assertions and certifications related to the reduction of patent-related fees.

Thank you to Senators Coons and Tillis, and Representatives Issa and Hank Johnson for their leadership.

###

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            Few Americans have had deeper influence in shaping labor and social policy in the United States than Frances Perkins.  Perkins became the first woman to serve as a Cabinet Secretary when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed her as the Secretary of Labor in 1933.  During the subsequent 12 years, Secretary Perkins played a pivotal role in constructing the New Deal and helping to guide the country out of the Great Depression by designing and leading the implementation of sweeping labor and economic reforms that have made life better for generations of Americans.  The longest serving Secretary of Labor in United States history, Secretary Perkins was the architect of many programs and standards — including a minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, and prohibitions on child labor — that have endured as the backbone of Federal support for workers and families and continue to benefit millions of Americans today.  Secretary Perkins chaired President Roosevelt’s effort to investigate the benefits of social insurance and then worked to achieve passage of the Social Security Act, which became one of the most successful programs in the United States to prevent poverty among older adults.  When the United States and other nations initially failed to face the horrors of the Holocaust, Secretary Perkins demonstrated leadership on behalf of immigrants and refugees by actively working to bring Jewish children and adults from Europe to the United States to ensure their safety.
     The Perkins Homestead in Newcastle, Maine, played a pivotal role in Frances Perkins’ life and supported her work to deliver lasting protection and benefits to American workers and families.  The rural setting of the Perkins Homestead on the Damariscotta River was the place she felt most at home.  She spent her childhood summers there and returned frequently for respite throughout her career.  Continuously owned by her family for over 260 years, the Perkins Homestead remains much as it was during Secretary Perkins’ lifetime, including the buildings, structures, gardens, and paths where she spent substantial time throughout her life.  The core area contains historic structures including a brick house, an attached barn, a gravel driveway, a garden, and portions of a stone wall.  The surrounding landscape of the Perkins Homestead contains additional portions of the stone wall, an ice pond, walking trails, a family cemetery, foundations of the 18th and 19th century Perkins Homestead buildings, and remnants of a pre-Revolutionary era garrison.  Visitors to the Perkins Homestead today can wander through these places where Perkins returned time and again during her Government service.  They can view the stone wall where she sat listening to the radio on September 1, 1939, when it was reported that the Germans invaded Poland, prompting her to rush back to Washington, D.C., to assist the President.  Preserving the core area of the Perkins Homestead and its associated historic objects will ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to learn about Secretary Perkins’ foundational contributions to the Nation’s social and labor policy through the place that helped shape her as a person and support her throughout her extraordinary career.
     Frances Perkins was born in Boston as Fannie Coralie Perkins in 1880.  At the age of 25, she changed her name to Frances Perkins, which she used for the rest of her life, even after marriage.  She graduated in 1902 from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, where she credited a class trip to a nearby mill with inspiring her early interest in improving working conditions for women and children.
     After college, Frances Perkins worked with social service organizations in Chicago and Philadelphia, including settlement houses for poor and unemployed people and an organization to support and protect immigrant and Black women and girls from labor and sexual exploitation they faced upon arrival in these cities looking for work.  These experiences deepened her resolve to help reduce poverty and support the working poor.
     In 1911, while employed at the New York City Consumers’ League, Frances Perkins heard the sirens of fire engines racing to put out flames that had engulfed the nearby Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.  Running to the site of the fire, she witnessed the horrific scene of workers, mostly young women, jumping to their deaths after being locked in the factory.  In total, 146 people died in the fire –- including many immigrant workers.  Perkins later cited that tragic day as the impetus for policies that would become central to the New Deal.
     Perkins’ subsequent work at the New York Factory Investigating Commission, where she investigated and advocated for worker health and safety reforms, led to 33 new State laws that improved worker safety, workplace sanitation, and working conditions; provided workers’ compensation; and placed limits on child labor.  These were some of the first workplace health and safety standards in the Nation, and they became models that other States and the Federal Government adopted.
     In 1919, Perkins was named to the New York State Industrial Commission, making her the first woman appointed to serve in a New York State government administration.  In 1929, newly elected Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked Perkins to become the State’s Industrial Commissioner and oversee the labor department.  As the United States careened toward the Great Depression, Perkins used her position to shine a national spotlight on rising unemployment while also helping workers in New York and elsewhere by connecting them to jobs through a State employment service and inviting surrounding States to participate in an unemployment insurance system.  Her early warnings regarding the depth of the Nation’s economic problems and her work to develop solutions established Perkins as a national leader in the 20th century employment and labor reform movements.
     When President Roosevelt formally asked Perkins to join his Cabinet as Secretary of Labor, she responded by saying that if she accepted the position, she intended to execute an ambitious plan of action that included establishing maximum hours and minimum wages, ending child labor, developing unemployment relief through public works, providing unemployment insurance, and creating an old-age pension and a national health insurance program.  After detailing her plan, she asked if President Roosevelt was sure he wanted this list of policies put in place, explaining that, “you won’t want me for Secretary of Labor if you don’t want those things done.”  President Roosevelt responded that he would back her; he had promised the American people that he would improve their lives, and he intended to keep his promise.
     At a time when few women were in leadership positions and just 13 years after the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, Frances Perkins became Secretary of Labor.  During an unprecedented 12 years in the position — from 1933 to 1945 — Secretary Perkins achieved hard-fought social and economic reforms, often over vocal opposition and personal attacks from critics.  She summarized her work in a five-page letter to President Roosevelt, describing the reforms as “a turning point in our national life — a turning from careless neglect of human values and toward an order . . . of mutual and practical benevolence within a free competitive industrial economy.”  The list of accomplishments detailed in her letter encompasses many programs and laws that continue to undergird the Nation’s economy and social safety net, including establishing Social Security and contributing to the development of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act.  She also helped create millions of jobs across the country through the novel Civilian Conservation Corps and Public Works Administration. 
     As Secretary of Labor, Perkins often supported the rights of workers to organize unions and to negotiate with employers through collective action, laying the foundation for the rebirth of American labor –- including through helping write recovery legislation that provided a right to collective bargaining and laid the groundwork for the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (also known as the Wagner Act).  She used her post not only to advance labor protections in national policy, but also to call personally for workers’ fair treatment and access to the halls of power.  She persuaded President Roosevelt not to deploy Federal troops to quell the 1934 San Francisco General Strike, and instead encouraged the parties to settle their differences, which was accomplished within a week, and she frequently advised President Roosevelt to help resolve contentious strikes for the benefit of workers.   
     At the close of her time at the Department of Labor, Perkins had accomplished nearly all of the items in the ambitious plan she laid out for President Roosevelt when he asked her to serve, but she lamented the one exception:  health care benefits for American workers.  Historians have also noted that, because of deep racial inequities and injustices of the time –- including segregation -– the benefits of the New Deal were not available to all Americans initially. 
     When her time as Secretary of Labor concluded, Perkins continued in public service as President Harry Truman’s appointee to the United States Civil Service Commission, a post she held from 1945 until 1953.  She then became a lecturer at the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, a role she held until her death in 1965. 
     When Secretary Perkins died, the Secretary of Labor at the time, W. Willard Wirtz, recognized her legacy as central to the New Deal, stating that “every man and woman in America who works at a living wage, under safe conditions, for reasonable hours, or who is protected by unemployment insurance or social security is her debtor.”  The final resting place of Secretary Perkins is near her daughter, husband, sister, parents, and grandparents in the Glidden Cemetery, located a half mile north of the Perkins Homestead in Newcastle, Maine. 
     Throughout Perkins’ life and career, the Perkins Homestead served as a place of rejuvenation and reflection, including during her time as Secretary of Labor.  Throughout her working life, she continued the family tradition of summer visits to Maine, often living there with her daughter from August into September.  Perkins and her sister became joint owners of the property in 1927 and it stayed within the family until 2020.  Perkins wrote about how the woods surrounding the brick house and the shoreline at the Perkins Homestead’s edge restored and comforted her, and how the brick house provided a place for her to relax and to recover from her work as Secretary of Labor.
     The Perkins Homestead, originally over 200 acres, was settled by Perkins’ great-great grandfather in the early 1700s.  A mid-18th century garrison existed on the property that was in use for 3 years during the French and Indian War. 
     The core area, on the west end of the Perkins Homestead, has a brick house built by the Perkins family in 1837 along with a connected barn.  The two-story home is constructed of bricks manufactured on site at the family brickyard.  The east end of the Perkins Homestead borders the Damariscotta River and has a family cemetery, foundations of the 18th and 19th century Perkins Homestead buildings, the remains of the brick kilns, wharves, and a clay pit from the 19th century brickyard, as well as the remains of the garrison.  Agricultural fields, pastures, woodland, and planted trees connect the two sides of the Perkins Homestead.
     The National Park Service first documented the Perkins Homestead through the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1960, while Secretary Perkins still occupied the home.  In 2009, the National Park Service listed the Brick House Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places; the Brick House Historic District included the brick house, adjacent structures, and the wooded and agricultural lands extending to the shoreline of the Damariscotta River.  In 2014, the Secretary of the Interior designated this same 57 acres as the Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark, recognizing the property’s historic importance and nationally significant association with Frances Perkins.
     The Perkins Homestead contains several objects that reflect Secretary Perkins’ lifelong commitment to supporting and protecting American workers.  Hanging above a doorway in the brick house is a custom “No Smoking” sign that reflects the lasting influence the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire had on Perkins.  It reads:  “Please Do Not SMOKE In Any Part of This Building.  DANGEROUS.  F. Perkins.”  The brick house also includes Secretary Perkins’ Award for Distinguished Service, which the Department of Labor presented to her on March 4, 1963, on the occasion of the Department’s 50th anniversary.  The Award citation reads:  “For her courage in entering an arena previously considered a masculine domain; for her strength in guiding the Department through a dozen years of domestic stress and international travail; for her spirit in waging the good fight for good objectives; and finally, for herself.”  
     Conserving the Perkins Homestead will ensure that the family home and surrounding landscape that were a constant source of support for Secretary Perkins will remain protected and accessible in perpetuity for the benefit of all people to learn about her life, her unparalleled contributions to labor and social policy that would eventually benefit generations of Americans, and core principles at the heart of the New Deal that she championed:  economic security and dignity for workers.
     WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (the “Antiquities Act”), authorizes the President, in the President’s discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected; and
     WHEREAS, the Perkins Homestead was designated a National Historic Landmark on August 25, 2014, establishing its national significance as the ancestral home and lifelong summer residence of Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve as a Cabinet Secretary and one of our Nation’s most influential and effective public servants whose legacy includes the historic New Deal; and
     WHEREAS, the Frances Perkins Center has been managing and preserving the approximately 57-acre Perkins Homestead, including the objects identified above and additional archives and collections illustrating the historic value of this site, and has expressed support for inclusion of the Perkins Homestead in the National Park System; and
     WHEREAS, the Frances Perkins Center has donated to the Federal Government for the purpose of establishing a unit of the National Park System fee interest in the core area comprising approximately 2.3 acres of land in Newcastle, Maine, which includes several historic objects associated with the Perkins Homestead and Perkins’ life located on this site, including the brick house, the connected barn, and portions of the stone wall; and
     WHEREAS, in support of the establishment of a national monument to be administered by the National Park Service, the Frances Perkins Center has also indicated its intent to develop a partnership with the National Park Service to help manage, oversee, interpret, maintain, and protect the Perkins Homestead (including the core area) and the historic objects it contains as appropriate; and
     WHEREAS, the Frances Perkins Center has indicated an interest in donating a majority of the remaining approximately 54.7 acres of the 57-acre Perkins Homestead to the Federal Government in the future; and
     WHEREAS, the designation of a national monument to be administered by the National Park Service would recognize the historic significance of Frances Perkins and her role in the New Deal, particularly her contributions to social welfare, safe working conditions, and protection of workers’ health and well-being, and would provide a national platform for preserving and interpreting this important history; and
     WHEREAS, I find that all the objects identified above, and objects of the type identified above within the area described herein, are objects of historic interest in need of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly identified as objects of historic interest in the text of this proclamation; and
     WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the monument reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic interest identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act; and
     WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to preserve and protect the objects of historic interest associated with the Perkins Homestead in Maine;
     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are situated on lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be part of the Frances Perkins National Monument (monument) and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part thereof all lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is attached to and forms a part of this proclamation.  The monument’s boundaries are coextensive with the Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark boundaries, and the reserved Federal lands and interests in lands within the monument’s boundaries comprise approximately 2.3 acres.
     All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries of the monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, leasing, or other disposition under the public land laws, including withdrawal from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing. 
     The establishment of the monument is subject to valid existing rights.  Specifically, the Frances Perkins Center retains reserved rights to occupy and use the premises; complete preservation, maintenance, and renovation work; and store and maintain artifacts currently located in the brick house.  These reserved rights shall expire not later than 25 years after the date of this proclamation. 
     If the Federal Government acquires any lands or interests in lands not owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as part of the monument, and objects of the type identified above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal Government.
     The Secretary of the Interior shall manage the monument through the National Park Service, pursuant to applicable legal authorities and consistent with the purposes and provisions of this proclamation.  For the purpose of preserving, interpreting, and enhancing the public understanding and appreciation of the monument, the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service, shall prepare a management plan for the monument.  The management plan shall ensure that the monument fulfills the following purposes for the benefit of present and future generations:  (1) to preserve the historic objects and other resources within the boundaries of the monument, and (2) to interpret in its entirety the story of Frances Perkins and the history of the New Deal, including the impact Perkins had as the first woman Cabinet Secretary; the complexities of Perkins as an individual and of her ideas, perspectives, and views; and her role in advancing hallmark labor, economic, and social reform within the historical and political context of the early-to-mid 20th century. 
     The National Park Service shall consult with appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies; local communities; nongovernmental organizations; and the general public in the region of the monument — including the Frances Perkins Center and the Damariscotta River Association — in developing the management plan for the monument, which shall include resource management, interpretation and education, visitor access, and services at the monument.  The National Park Service shall also consult on all aspects of the management plan with the Penobscot Nation and other Wabanaki Peoples, whose ancestral lands include areas in Maine near the monument.
     The National Park Service is directed, as appropriate, to use applicable authorities to seek to enter into agreements with other entities, including the Frances Perkins Center, to address common interests and promote management efficiencies, including the provision of visitor services, interpretation and education, establishment and care of museum collections, and preservation of historic objects. 
            Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall be the dominant reservation.
     Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.
     If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
 
 
 
                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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On Wright Brothers Day, we celebrate the bold vision, steadfast determination, and transformative innovation of Orville and Wilbur Wright.  Their aircraft, which completed the first sustained, controlled, and powered flight 121 years ago, forever altered the course of human history and took our Nation to new heights.

     The Wright brothers embody the best of America’s grit, heart, and unstoppable spirit of ingenuity.  Before they took to the skies that fateful December day, the Wright brothers had spent years conducting arduous research, redesigns, and dangerous trials.  They were driven by the belief that what so many had written off as impossible could actually be done — that sustained, controlled, and powered flight was possible.  And on the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, they were proven right — their aircraft, the Wright Flyer, took flight for 12 seconds.  In less than a minute, that one feat altered our understanding of technological possibilities and human potential forever, laying the foundation for putting a man on the moon; breaking the sound barrier; and beginning a new, deeper exploration of our universe. 

     My Administration has been committed to building on their legacy of innovation and advancement.  We have made improvements to modern air travel — from making airports more accessible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to making air travel safer.  And we have harnessed the spirit of American ingenuity in everything we do, like tackling the climate crisis, working toward ending cancer as we know it, and ensuring that the technologies of the future will benefit Americans for generations to come.

     On Wright Brothers Day, we honor two visionary men from Dayton, Ohio, who chose to look to the sky with not just wonder but with an ambition to take Americans where no one had gone before.  Because of their work, generations of visionary scientists, engineers, and dreamers and doers have followed in their footsteps, believing that, here in America, we do big things and nothing is beyond our capacity. 

     The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December 17, 1963, as amended (77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143), has designated December 17 of each year as “Wright Brothers Day” and has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation inviting the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 17, 2024, as Wright Brothers Day.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT:       Establishment of the China Censorship Monitor and Action Group


By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to monitor and address the effects of any efforts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), either directly or through proxies, to censor or intimidate any United States person, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.  Policy.  Consistent with section 5515(b) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263, 22 U.S.C. 3363(b)) (the “Act”), I am directing the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Director of the National Economic Council to lead an interagency effort to oversee the development and execution of an integrated Federal Government strategy to monitor and address the effects of any efforts by the PRC to censor or intimidate, in the United States or in any of its possessions or territories, any United States person, including a United States company that conducts business in the PRC, exercising its freedom of speech.

Sec. 2.  Establishment.  There is established within the Executive Office of the President the China Censorship Monitor and Action Group (Task Force).

Sec. 3.  Membership.  (a)  The Task Force shall be chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, or his or her designee, and vice-chaired by the Director of the National Economic Council, or his or her designee.

(b)  In addition to the Chair and the Vice Chair, the Task Force shall consist of representatives from the following executive departments and agencies (agencies), the heads of which shall designate or appoint personnel at the level of Assistant Secretary or above to participate in the Task Force:
     (i)     the Department of State;

     (ii)    the Department of the Treasury;

     (iii)   the Department of Defense; 

     (iv)    the Department of Justice;

     (v)     the Department of Agriculture;

     (vi)    the Department of Commerce;

     (vii)   the Department of Education;

     (viii)  the Department of Homeland Security;

     (ix)    the Office of the Director of National Intelligence;

     (x)     the Office of the United States Trade Representative;

     (xi)    the Central Intelligence Agency;

     (xii)   the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and

     (xiii)  other agencies and offices as the President may, from time to time, designate.

Sec. 4.  Mission and Function.  The Task Force shall meet not less frequently than twice per year to oversee the development and execution of the integrated Federal Government strategy described in section 5515(b)(3)(A) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3363(b)(3)(A)).  That strategy shall reflect the collective views of the members of the Task Force and shall be informed by consultations with agencies and independent agencies that are not represented on the Task Force; relevant stakeholders in the private sector and the media; and relevant stakeholders among foreign allies and partners of the United States.

Sec. 5.  Annual Report of the Task Force.  (a)  Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, the Task Force shall submit to the President and the appropriate congressional committees, as defined in section 5515(a)(1) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3363(a)(1)), the strategy described in section 5515(b)(3)(A) of the Act.

(b)  Within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, the Task Force shall submit to the President and the appropriate congressional committees, and make publicly available to the extent consistent with national security and other executive branch confidentiality interests, the first annual report described in section 5515(b)(6)(A)-(B) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3363(b)(6)).

(c)  Within 1 year of submitting the first annual report described in subsection (b) of this section, and every year thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to the President and the appropriate congressional committees, and make publicly available to the extent consistent with national security and other executive branch confidentiality interests, the required follow-on annual reports described in section 5515(b)(6)(A)-(B) of the Act, until the requirement terminates as specified in section 5515(d) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3363(d)).

Sec. 6.  Definition.  For purposes of this memorandum, the term “United States person” shall have the meaning provided in section 5515(a)(3) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3363(a)(3)).

Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum 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 memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This memorandum 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.

(d)  The Attorney General is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT:       Establishment of the Countering Economic Coercion Task Force

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve efforts to respond to coercive economic practices of countries of concern, including the People’s Republic of China (PRC), it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.  Policy.  Consistent with section 5514 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263, 22 U.S.C. 3362) (the “Act”), I am directing the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Director of the National Economic Council to oversee an interagency effort to address the increasing use of economic coercion by countries of concern, including the PRC; to assess potential vulnerabilities of countries, including within their private sectors, to such coercion; and to develop concrete recommendations for a comprehensive, effective, and, as appropriate, multilateral response, including to deter future coercive economic behavior.

Sec. 2.  Establishment.  There is established within the Executive Office of the President the Countering Economic Coercion Task Force (Task Force).

Sec. 3.  Membership.  (a)  The Task Force shall be chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, or his or her designee, and vice-chaired by the Director of the National Economic Council, or his or her designee.

(b)  In addition to the Chair and the Vice Chair, the Task Force shall consist of representatives from the following executive departments and agencies (agencies), the heads of which shall designate or appoint personnel at the level of Assistant Secretary or above to participate in the Task Force:

(i)      the Department of State;

(ii)     the Department of the Treasury;

(iii)    the Department of Defense; 

(iv)     the Department of Justice;

(v)      the Department of Agriculture;

(vi)     the Department of Commerce;

(vii)    the Department of Labor;

(viii)   the Department of Health and Human Services;

(ix)     the Department of Energy;

(x)      the Department of Homeland Security;

(xi)     the Office of the Director of National Intelligence;

(xii)    the Office of the United States Trade Representative;

(xiii)   the Central Intelligence Agency;

(xiv)    the United States Agency for International Development;

(xv)     the Export-Import Bank of the United States;

(xvi)    the Trade and Development Agency;

(xvii)   the United States International Development Finance Corporation; and

(xviii)  other agencies and offices as the President may, from time to time, designate.

Sec. 4.  Mission and Function.  The Task Force shall work across agencies and offices to oversee the development and implementation of an integrated United States Government strategy to respond to and deter coercive economic practices by countries of concern, including the PRC.  That strategy shall include the elements outlined in section 5514(c)(1)(A) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3362(c)(1)(A)) and shall, consistent with section 5514(c)(2) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3362(c)(2)), be informed by consultations with relevant stakeholders, including, as necessary and appropriate, stakeholders in the private sector, agencies that are not represented on the Task Force, and foreign allies and partners of the United States.  The Task Force shall also perform the other responsibilities set forth in section 5514(c)(1) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3362(c)(1)).

Sec. 5.  Reporting on the Work and Recommendations of the Task Force.  (a)  Within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, the Task Force shall submit to the Congress the initial report described in section 5514(e)(1) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3362(e)(1)).

(b)  Within 1 year of submitting the initial report described in subsection (a) of this section, the Task Force shall submit to the Congress the first interim report described in section 5514(e)(2)(A) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3362(e)(2)(A)).

(c)  Within 1 year of submitting the first interim report described in subsection (b) of this section, the Task Force shall submit to the Congress the second interim report described in section 5514(e)(2)(B) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3362(e)(2)(B)).

(d)  Within 30 days of submitting the second interim report described in subsection (c) of this section, the Task Force shall submit to the Congress the final report described in section 5514(e)(3) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 3362(e)(3)).

(e)  The Task Force shall also consolidate any input received and submit periodic recommendations to the President on policies and regulatory actions to address systemic harms from PRC economic coercion.

Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum 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 memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This memorandum 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.

(d)  The Attorney General is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13818 of December 20, 2017, is to continue in effect beyond December 20, 2024.

The prevalence and severity of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, continue to threaten the stability of international political and economic systems.  Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons; undermine economic markets; and continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.

Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13818 with respect to serious human rights abuse and corruption.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 11, 2024.

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On December 20, 2017, by Executive Order 13818, the President declared a national emergency with respect to serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world and, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), took related steps to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.

The prevalence and severity of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.  For this reason, the national emergency declared on December 20, 2017, must continue in effect beyond December 20, 2024.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13818 with respect to serious human rights abuse and corruption.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 11, 2024.

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY
THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

SUBJECT:       Delegation of Functions and Authorities Under Sections 1352 and 1353 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code:

Section 1.  (a)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Energy, the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 1352(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118-31) (the “Act”).

(b)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretaries of State and Energy and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 1352(e)(1)(A) of the Act.

(c)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 1352(f)(2) of the Act.

(d)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of Defense for funds transferred to Department of Defense accounts and to the Secretary of Energy for funds transferred to Department of Energy accounts, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the functions and authorities vested in the President by sections 1353(c), 1353(e)(1)(D), and 1353(e)(3) of the Act.

(e)  I hereby delegate to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Energy, as appropriate, the functions and authorities vested in the President by sections 1353(a), 1353(e)(1)(A), 1353(e)(2), and 1353(f)(1) of the Act.

Sec. 2.  The delegation in this memorandum shall apply to any provision of any future public law that is the same or substantially the same as the provision referenced in this memorandum.

Sec. 3.  The Secretary of Defense is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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