Presidential Materials  

The Presidential power to issue Executive Orders and Administrative Orders is an offspring of implied constitutional powers to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Executive Orders and Administrative Orders derive their legal authority either from existing statutes or from other constitutional authority given to the President. Executive Orders and Administrative Orders do not have to be approved by Congress to be effective.

Presidential Executive Orders, Proclamations and Administrative Orders are required to be published in the Federal Register as documents of general applicability and legal effect see 44 USCA §1505. The only exceptions are orders which deal with sensitive national security measures which appear by number only in the Federal Register. Exec. Or. 11030, 27 FR 5847, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., specifies the regulations for the preparation, presentation, filing and publication of these Presidential documents.

Executive Orders, Proclamations and Administrative Orders issued by a President during a particular year are compiled and published by number in the annual volume of Title 3 of the CFR.

Sources for Presidential Documents and Pronouncements

White House Website  Inlcudes executive orders; proclamations; memoranda; speeches and remarks; Presidents's weekly address and press briefings.

National Archives and Records Site - http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/presidential_documents/website_guide.html (This site includes Executive Orders Disposition Tables.)

Westlaw Presidential Documents database

Lexis Executive orders

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

• Print copies: Law Govt. Docs. 1st Floor - AE 2.109.
• HeinOnLine U.S. Presidential Library

Federal Register

• Law Govt. Docs. 1st Floor - AE 2.106 (print and microform)
• HeinOnLine - 1936-2007 Federal Register Library

Code of Federal Regulations Title 3

• Law Govt. Docs. 1st Floor - AE 106/3 (print and microform) - Current Issues in 2nd Floor Reading Room.
• http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
• HeinOnLine Federal Register Library

Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders 1945-1989

• Print: Library Ready Reference AE 2.113 : 945-89

Public Papers of the President

• Public Papers of the Presidents 1991-
• National Archives Papers of the Presidents
• Papers of Truman - G.W. Bush - J80.A283 1st Floor stacks
• HeinOnLine U.S. Presidential Library

Early Executive Orders and Proclamations Not Published in CFR or Federal Register

• CIS Index to Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations 1789-1983 Law Govt. Docs. 1st Floor - KF70.A555 1987

United Statutes at Large

• Contains Proclamations only since 1789 to present.
• HeinOnLine U.S. Statutes at Large library
• Print U.S. Statutes at Large volumes located 2nd Floor Reading Room in the Federal Collection

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