Statement on Signing Executive Order Transferring Operations of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations to the Domestic Council.

I HAVE today signed an Executive order [11690] transferring the operations of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, which I established in 1969 to operate under the immediate supervision of the Vice President, to the Domestic Council, which has been the focal point for domestic policy formulation since it came into being 2 1/2 years ago under Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1970.

This action, which I am taking at Vice President Agnew's recommendation based on his extensive experience in intergovernmental relations, will facilitate improved two-way communication and coordination between the Federal Government and State and local governments. The Vice President, who acts as Vice Chairman of the Domestic Council, will still be closely informed about the views and concerns of Governors, State legislators, mayors, and county officials across the country and will, of course, continue to participate in all Domestic Council decisions.

Under the supervision of Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Executive Director, the Domestic Council will assume the following new responsibilities and functions under the change effected today:

--to act as my principal point of contact with the executive and legislative officials of State and local government;

--to encourage closer cooperation between the various Federal agencies and their State and local counterparts;

--to keep the Federal Executive continuously aware of the views of State and local officials and to serve as a clearinghouse through which specific difficulties can be resolved;

--to work closely with the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations;

--to provide State and local officials with guaranteed access to the highest offices of the Federal Government-especially those offices having a direct impact on intergovernmental relations;

--to strengthen existing channels of communication and to create new channels among all levels of government;

--to transfer more decisionmaking authority to the Federal regional offices, and to facilitate an orderly transfer of appropriate functions to State and local government; and

--to provide the President with a more versatile domestic policy arm and give State and local government a direct role in the development of our domestic policy initiatives.

As a further step toward increasing intergovernmental involvement in the Federal domestic policy formulation process, I shall also appoint Mr. Cole to the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.

I expect this streamlining action within the Executive Office of the President to contribute significantly to our objective of achieving a stronger and better balanced Federal system in the United States during the next 4 years.