Executive Order 10802—Establishing the Committee on Government Activities Affecting Prices and Costs

WHEREAS serious injury to the national economy may result from a lack of reasonable stability in the level of prices and costs; and

WHEREAS it is essential that the programs and activities of the Federal Government affecting prices and costs be administered in the light of the need for reasonable stability of the price level:

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, including the Employment Act of 1946, as amended (60 Stat. 23 ; 15 U.S.C. 1021, et seq.) and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. There is hereby established the Committee on Government Activities Affecting Prices and Costs (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee"). The Committee shall be composed of the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, who shall serve as Chairman; and a representative of each of the following agencies, to be designated by the head of such agency—the Department of Defense, the Post Office Department, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Budget, the General Services Administration, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Federal Aviation Agency and the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization; and a representative to be designated by the head of each other Federal agency the President may from time to time request to participate in the activities of the Committee.

SEC. 2. The Committee shall:

(a) Examine and study the operation of Federal procurement, stockpiling, commodity price support, rate regulation, subsidy and similar programs and activities as to their effect upon the level and trends of prices and costs;

(b) Recommend to the agencies involved administrative actions, procedures, and policies to assure that existing programs and activities are, insofar as practicable under existing law and with due regard to national security requirements, being carried out in the light of the need for reasonable stability of the price level, and in the light of other national economic objectives;

(c) Advise the President periodically as to

(i) the effect of Federal programs and activities within the scope of this order upon the level and trends of prices and costs; and

(ii) its recommendations for improving administrative actions, procedures, and policies under which programs and activities are being conducted, in order to carry out more effectively the policy recited in this order.

SEC. 3. The heads of all Federal departments and agencies engaged in procurement, stockpiling, commodity price support, rate regulation, subsidy and similar programs which directly affect prices and costs shall reexamine their programs in the light of the need for reasonable stability of the price level, and shall take such administrative actions or recommend such changes in legislation as are deemed desirable after such review.

SEC. 4. The heads of all departments and agencies referred to in section 3 shall cooperate to the fullest possible extent with the Committee.

SEC. 5. The agencies designated in section 1 of this order shall, as may be necessary for the purpose of effectuating the provisions of this order, furnish assistance to the Committee in accordance with section 214 of the act of May 3, 1945 (59 Stat. 134; 31 U.S.C. 691). Such assistance may include detailing employees to the Committee, one of whom may serve as its executive officer, to perform such functions consistent with the purpose of this order as the Committee may assign to them.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 23, 1959.