    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [March 19, 2002]
    [Pages 754-755]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Designation of Officers of the Department of Veterans
    Affairs
    March 19, 2002

    Memorandum for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

    Subject: Designation of Officers of the Department of Veterans Affairs

        By the authority vested in me as President under the Constitution
    and the laws of the United States of America and pursuant to the Federal
    Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., I hereby order
    that:
        Section 1. Order of Succession.
        During any period when the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
    (Secretary), the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the officers
    designated by Executive Order 13247 of December 18, 2001, to perform the
    functions and duties of the office of Secretary have died, resigned, or
    otherwise become unable to perform the functions and duties of the
    office of Secretary, the following officers of the Department of
    Veterans Affairs, in the order listed, shall perform the functions and
    duties of the office of Secretary, if they are eligible to act as
    Secretary under the provisions of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of
    1998, until such time as at least one of the officers mentioned above is
    able to perform the functions and duties of the office of Secretary:
        Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8 Director, Veterans
            Health Administration;
        VISN 7 Director, Veterans Health Administration;
        VISN 19 Director, Veterans Health Administration; and
        VISN 21 Director, Veterans Health Administration.
        Sec. 2. Exceptions.
        (a) No individual who is serving in an office listed in section 1 in
    an acting capacity, by virtue of so serving, shall act as Secretary
    pursuant to this memorandum.
        (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this memorandum, the President
    retains discretion, to the extent permitted by the Federal Vacancies
    Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., to depart from this
    memorandum in designating an acting Secretary.

                                                              George W. Bush

    Note: This memorandum was released by the Office of the Press Secretary
    on May 9.

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