Establishing a White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers

Executive Order 13509 of June 23, 2009

Establishing a White House Council on Automotive
Communities and Workers

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. Policy. Over the last decade, the United
States has experienced a decline in employment in the
auto industry and among part suppliers. This decline
has accelerated dramatically over the past year, with
more than 400,000 jobs being lost in the industry.
Unemployment in the automotive sector in towns and
cities across the country has reached levels not seen
in decades, with resulting increases in poverty and
high home foreclosure rates.

The purpose of this order is to establish a coordinated
Federal response to issues that particularly impact
automotive communities and workers and to ensure that
Federal programs and policies address and take into
account these concerns.

Sec. 2. White House Council on Automotive Communities
and Workers. There is established within the Executive
Office of the President the White House Council on
Automotive Communities and Workers (Council).

    (a) Membership. The Council shall consist of the
following members:

(1) the Secretary of Labor and the Assistant to the President for
Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council, who shall
serve as Co-Chairs of the Council;

(2) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(3) the Secretary of Defense;

(4) the Attorney General;

(5) the Secretary of the Interior;

(6) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(7) the Secretary of Commerce;

(8) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(9) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;

(10) the Secretary of Transportation;

(11) the Secretary of Energy;

(12) the Secretary of Education;

(13) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(14) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;

(15) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

(16) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(17) the United States Trade Representative;

(18) the Administrator of General Services;

(19) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;

(20) the Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for
Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement;

(21) the Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary;

(22) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy
Council;

(23) the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality;

(24) the Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change; and

(25) the heads of such other executive departments, agencies, and offices
as the President may, from time to time, designate.

    A member of the Council may designate, to perform
the Council functions of the member, a senior-level
official who is a part of the member's department,
agency, or office, and who is a full-time officer or
employee of the Federal Government.
    (b) Administration. The Co-Chairs shall convene
regular meetings of the Council, determine its agenda,
and direct its work. The Director for Recovery of Auto
Communities and Workers (Director of Recovery) shall
serve as Executive Director of the Council and shall
coordinate the Council's activities. At the direction
of the Co-Chairs, the Council may establish subgroups
consisting exclusively of Council members or their
designees, as appropriate.

Sec. 3. Mission and Functions. The Council shall
perform the following functions, to the extent
permitted by law:

    (a) Provide leadership and coordinate the
development of policies and programs across executive
departments and agencies to ensure a coordinated
Federal response to issues that have a distinct impact
on automotive communities and workers;
    (b) Advise the President on the effects of pending
legislation and executive branch policy proposals on
automotive communities and workers;
    (c) Provide recommendations to the President on
changes to Federal policies and programs to address
issues of special importance to automotive communities
and workers; and
    (d) Help ensure that officials across the executive
branch, including officials on existing committees or
task forces addressing automotive issues, advance the
President's agenda for automotive communities and
support the Director of Recovery's coordination of
Federal economic adjustment assistance activities. Such
support may include the use of personnel, technical
expertise, and available financial resources. It may be
used to provide a coordinated Federal response to the
needs of individual States, regions, municipalities,
and communities adversely affected by auto industry
changes.

Sec. 4. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set
forth in this order, the Council, in accordance with
applicable law, in addition to regular meetings, shall
conduct outreach to representatives of nonprofit
organizations, business, labor, State and local
government agencies, elected officials, and other
interested persons that will assist in bringing to the
President's attention concerns, ideas, and policy
options for expanding and improving efforts to
revitalize automotive communities.

Sec. 5. Termination. The Council shall terminate 2
years after the date of this order unless extended by
the President.

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) The heads of executive
departments and agencies shall assist and provide
information to the Council, consistent with applicable
law, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of
the Council. Each executive department and agency shall
bear its own expense for participating in the Council.

    (b) Executive departments and agencies shall afford
consideration to requests from automotive communities
for Federal technical assistance, financial resources,
excess or surplus property, or other resources.
    (c) Nothing in this order shall be construed to
impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the
head thereof; or

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (d) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
    (e) 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.

    (Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    June 23, 2009.