National Emergency Construction Authority
Headline: Defense Secretary Authorized to Use Emergency Construction Authority
What it does: The order makes emergency construction authority under 10 U.S.C. 2808 available to the Secretary of Defense and, at the Secretary's discretion, to military department leaders.
- Gives the Department of Defense authority to begin emergency construction projects.
- Allows military department leaders to authorize construction at the Defense Secretary's discretion.
- Enables use of the Armed Forces in responding to the declared terrorist threat.
Summary
This order invokes a special emergency construction law (10 U.S.C. 2808) to grant the Department of Defense additional authority after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It makes that construction authority available to the Secretary of Defense and, at the Secretary's discretion, to the leaders of the military departments.
This change lets the military begin urgent construction and related actions to respond to the declared national emergency and the continuing threat described in the order.
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