Protecting People and the Environment by the Stroke of a Presidential Pen: Seven New Executive Orders for President Obama's Second Term

30 Pages Posted: 25 Feb 2016

See all articles by Robert L. Glicksman

Robert L. Glicksman

George Washington University - Law School

Amy Sinden

Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law; Center for Progressive Reform

Rena I. Steinzor

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law; Center for Progressive Reform

Matthew Shudtz

University of Georgia Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems

James Goodwin

Center for Progressive Reform

Michael Patoka

Independent

Date Written: December 1, 2012

Abstract

Over the next four years, the nation will face a daunting to-do list of public health, safety, and environmental challenges. If progress is to be made on these challenges, the Executive Branch must take the lead.

President Barack Obama has broad authority over the Executive Branch’s various regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Existing statutes authorize these agencies and the White House itself to address the greatest public, health, and safety challenges. So if progress is to be made, President Obama will need to unleash this potential by making full use of his authority to manage agency activities by issuing Executive Orders. He can use these orders to direct the agencies to focus on high priority regulatory initiatives and to streamline the processes by which they carry out their statutory missions.

This white paper recommends seven Executive Orders for the second term of the Obama Administration, all of which are directed at addressing critical public health, safety, and environmental challenges. Each Order directs government agencies to take specific steps to create meaningful new safeguards for people and the environment. Adopting and successfully carrying out these recommendations would help to cement President Obama’s legacy as a strong defender of public health, safety, and the environment.

Keywords: President, Executive Order, Protections, Environment, Public Health, Safety

JEL Classification: K23, K32

Suggested Citation

Glicksman, Robert L. and Sinden, Amy and Steinzor, Rena I. and Shudtz, Matthew and Goodwin, James and Patoka, Michael, Protecting People and the Environment by the Stroke of a Presidential Pen: Seven New Executive Orders for President Obama's Second Term (December 1, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2737069 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2737069

Robert L. Glicksman

George Washington University - Law School ( email )

2000 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20052
United States
202-994-4641 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.gwu.edu/Faculty/profile.aspx?id=16085

Amy Sinden

Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law ( email )

1719 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
United States
215-204-4969 (Phone)
215-204-1185 (Fax)

Center for Progressive Reform ( email )

500 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
United States

Rena I. Steinzor

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law ( email )

500 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-1786
United States

Center for Progressive Reform ( email )

500 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
United States

Matthew Shudtz

University of Georgia Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems ( email )

United States

James Goodwin (Contact Author)

Center for Progressive Reform ( email )

455 Massachusetts Ave., NW, #150-513
Washington, DC 20001
United States

Michael Patoka

Independent ( email )

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