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Statement by the Press Secretary on the Formation of the Cabinet Councils

February 26, 1981

The membership of each Cabinet Council has been finalized. The Cabinet Councils are designed to operate as subgroups of the full Cabinet, with the President presiding. Full Cabinet meetings will continue to focus on broad issues affecting the entire Government and on overall budgetary and fiscal matters.

Cabinet Council procedures have been developed and endorsed by the President. The procedures are intended to create an orderly process for reviewing issues requiring a decision by the President.

The Cabinet Council procedures are:

—Each Cabinet Council will be chaired by the President.

—Each Cabinet Council has a designated Chairman pro tempore who will guide the direction of the Council and will serve as the chairman of working sessions in which the President is not in attendance.

—An Executive Secretary will be appointed for each Cabinet Council from the Office of Policy Development. This individual, working with the Office of Cabinet Administration, will coordinate the activities of each Cabinet Council, including the preparation and distribution of agendas and meeting summaries. This activity will be supplemented by a secretariat for each Cabinet Council, composed of the Executive Secretary, representatives of the member departments, and other personnel as needed, to prepare background materials, refine policy options and recommendations, and otherwise assist the Cabinet Council.

—Issues will be sent to Cabinet Councils by the Office of Cabinet Administration. Notification of such assignments will be communicated immediately to all Cabinet members to assure full opportunity to participate in consideration of each issue.

—Presidential decisions, made in or after Cabinet Council meetings, will follow full discussion by any Cabinet member who wishes to participate. Council meetings are open to any member of the Cabinet. Decisions will be reported to the full Cabinet as they occur. When full Cabinet review is required, the matter will be set for a meeting of the full Cabinet.

Cabinet Council on Economic Affairs

Secretary of the Treasury, Chairman pro tempore

Secretary of State

Secretary of Commerce

Secretary of Labor

Secretary of Transportation

Director, Office of Management and Budget

U.S. Trade Representative

Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers

* The Vice President

*Counsellor to the President

* Chief of Staff

* Ex officio member.

Cabinet Council on Natural Resources and Environment

Secretary of the Interior, Chairman pro tempore Attorney General

Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Transportation

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Secretary of Energy

*The Vice President

*Counselor to the President

*Chief of Staff

* Ex officio member.

Cabinet Council on Commerce and Trade

Secretary of Commerce, Chairman pro tempore

Secretary of State

Secretary of the Treasury

Attorney General

Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Labor

Secretary of Transportation

U.S. Trade Representative

Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers

*The Vice President

*Counselor to the President

*Chief of Staff

* Ex officio member.

Cabinet Council on Human Resources

Secretary of Health and Human Services, Chairman pro tempore

Attorney General Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Labor

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Secretary of Education

*The Vice President

*Counselor to the President

* Chief of Staff

* Ex officio member.

Cabinet Council on Food and Agriculture Secretary of Agriculture, Chairman pro tempore Secretary of State

Secretary of the Interior

Secretary of Commerce

Secretary of Transportation

U.S. Trade Representative

*The Vice President

*Counselor to the President

*Chief of Staff

* Ex officio member.

Ronald Reagan, Statement by the Press Secretary on the Formation of the Cabinet Councils Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/246816

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