[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 50 (Monday, December 13, 2004)]
[Page 2927]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Assignment of Functions Implementing the HELP Commission 
Act

December 8, 2004

Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development

Subject: Assignment of Functions Implementing the HELP Commission Act

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
laws of the United States, including section 301 of title 3, United 
States Code:
    1. The functions of the President under subsection 637(k) of the 
Commerce, Justice and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2004 (Division B, Public Law 108-199) (22 U.S.C. 
2394b(k)) (the ``Act'') are assigned to the Secretary of State 
(Secretary).
    2. The Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development shall provide support to assist the Secretary in the 
performance of functions assigned by this memorandum, and the heads of 
executive departments and agencies with information concerning 
assistance programs shall furnish promptly to the Secretary, consistent 
with applicable law, such information as the Secretary may request to 
assist in fulfillment of these responsibilities for the preparation of 
the report to which subsection 637(k) refers.
    3. The Secretary shall coordinate the receipt by departments and 
agencies of requests from the HELP Commission under section 637(e) of 
the Act for information and their responses to such requests. Such 
departments and agencies shall provide relevant information and 
responses promptly. The Secretary shall ensure that such responses occur 
in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to 
withhold information that could impair foreign relations, national 
security, the deliberative processes of the Executive, or the 
performance of the Executive's constitutional duties.
    4. Heads of executive departments and agencies shall assist the 
Secretary in the implementation of this memorandum.
    5. The Secretary is authorized and directed to publish this 
memorandum in the Federal Register.
                                                George W. Bush