[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 3, 2009)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 5979-5981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2436]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 21 / Tuesday, February 3, 2009 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 5979]]


                Memorandum of January 30, 2009

                
White House Task Force on Middle-Class Working 
                Families

                Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and 
                Agencies

                For many years, middle-class Americans have been 
                working harder, yet not enjoying their fair share of 
                the fruits of a growing economy. While the productivity 
                of the American workforce grew during the decade ending 
                in 2007, middle-income workers saw their real incomes 
                fall. The current economic situation has exacerbated 
                the challenges facing middle-class Americans, with 
                health care coverage, safe and steady employment 
                opportunities, effective and affordable education, 
                owning a home, and saving for retirement slipping out 
                of reach. It is a high priority of my Administration to 
                achieve a secure future for middle-class working 
                families, one in which they share in prosperous times 
                and are cushioned during hard times. To these ends, I 
                hereby direct the following:

                Section 1. White House Task Force on Middle-Class 
                Working Families. There is established within the 
                Office of the Vice President, a White House Task Force 
                on Middle-Class Working Families (Task Force) to focus 
                on raising the living standards of middle-class working 
                families in the United States of America. The Vice 
                President shall serve as Chair of the Task Force.

                (a) Membership of the Task Force. In addition to the 
                Vice President, the Task Force shall consist 
                exclusively of the heads of the executive branch 
                departments, agencies, and offices listed below:

                    (1) the Department of Commerce;
                    (2) the Department of Labor;
                    (3) the Department of Health and Human Services;
                    (4) the Department of Education;
                    (5) the Office of Management and Budget;
                    (6) the National Economic Council;
                    (7) the Domestic Policy Council;
                    (8) the Council of Economic Advisers; and
                    (9) such other executive branch departments, 
                agencies, or offices as the President may designate.

                A member of the Task Force may designate, to perform 
                the Task Force functions of the member, any person 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. At the direction of the Chair, 
                the Task Force may establish subgroups consisting 
                exclusively of Task Force members or their designees 
                under this section, as appropriate.

                (b) Administration of the Task Force. The Department of 
                Labor shall provide funding and administrative support 
                for the Task Force to the extent permitted by law and 
                within existing appropriations. The Vice President 
                shall designate an Executive Director of the Task 
                Force, who shall coordinate the work of the Task Force.

                Sec. 2. Mission and Functions of the Task Force. The 
                Task Force shall work with a wide array of executive 
                departments and agencies that have responsibility for 
                key issues facing middle-class working families, 
                expedite

[[Page 5980]]

                administrative reforms, propose Executive Orders, and 
                develop legislative and policy proposals that can be of 
                special importance to middle-class working families. 
                The functions of the Task Force are advisory only and 
                shall include, but shall not be limited to, producing a 
                detailed set of recommendations to:

                    (a) expand education and lifelong training 
                opportunities;
                    (b) improve work and family balance;
                    (c) restore labor standards, including workplace 
                safety;
                    (d) protect the incomes of middle-class working 
                families; and
                    (e) protect retirement security.

                Sec. 3. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set 
                out in section 2 of this memorandum, the Task Force, in 
                accordance with applicable law, in addition to regular 
                meetings, shall conduct outreach with representatives 
                of labor, business, nonprofit organizations, State and 
                local government agencies, and other interested persons 
                that will assist with the Task Force's development of a 
                detailed set of recommendations.

                Sec. 4. Transparency and Reports. The Task Force shall 
                facilitate the posting on the Internet of submissions 
                by outside parties and engage in an open, two-way 
                dialogue with the American people. The Task Force shall 
                present to the President annual reports, beginning 1 
                year from the date of this memorandum, on its findings 
                and recommendations, which shall be made available to 
                the public and posted on the Internet.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) The heads of executive 
                departments and agencies shall assist and provide 
                information to the Task Force, consistent with 
                applicable law, as may be necessary to carry out the 
                functions of the Task Force. Each executive department 
                and agency shall bear its own expense for participating 
                in the Task Force.

                (b) Nothing in this memorandum 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.

                (c) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent 
                with applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

                (d) This memorandum 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.

[[Page 5981]]

                Sec. 6. Publication. The Secretary of Labor is 
                authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in 
                the Federal Register.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, January 30, 2009

[FR Doc. E9-2436
Filed 2-2-09; 11:15 am]
Billing code 4510-23-P