WorldNetDaily is reporting President Bush has signed an executive order which grants extensive new powers to the president in times of national emergency.
President Bush has signed a directive granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight.
The "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive" was signed May 9, notes Jerome R. Corsi in a WND column.
It was issued with the dual designation of NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive.
The directive establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency.
"Catastrophic emergency" is loosely defined as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."
I understand that the office of the president already has some authority in this regard, but this appears to significantly broaden that authority. I'm especially concerned not only by the supersession of state and local authority, but private sector organizations. Overreaching control over the private sector is a socialist tactic, not the practice of a free republic.
While I can see some practicality to such an edict, and we might even be able to trust George W. Bush with it, there are bound to be presidents that we cannot. I have only to think back to Bill Clinton to know there may be presidents to whom this kind of power would be gasoline and a box of matches in the hands of an arsonist.
Our country has come through great national calamities without this kind of presidential authority before: the War of 1812, the Great Depression, the Drought of the 1930s, WWII, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.
If something arises where presidential authority is needed beyond what already exists, we can have Congress expedite passage of such constitutional authority. And if that takes days or even weeks, we can go back to being a nation that trusts God first and our own strength and wisdom second.
This sounds like a bad idea for a people who like to call themselves free.
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