Executive Order

THE NEED for action to improve the nation's fiscal outlook is indisputable. The question is, what, short of a financial meltdown, could force a gridlocked Congress to act in ways that serve the national interest but might be hazardous to lawmakers' short-term political interests. The least bad approach would be a law creating a bipartisan commission whose recommendations would be subject to a fast-tracked, up-or-down vote; this is an acknowledgement of the failure of the regular congressional process, but it is, sadly, necessary in the current environment.

Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) announced Wednesday that he will create a "Teacher Cabinet" of advisers to influence high-level decisions that affect public schools . The teachers who will comprise most of the cabinet will be charged with developing recommendations for new ways to engage parents and close achievement gaps, and they will work on methods for improving the collaboration between public schools, colleges and workplaces....

In a television interview last October, President Obama accidentally let slip a key element of his political philosophy : "We're gonna punish our enemies, and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us. " Obama later apologized — not for the underlying sentiment, mind you, but for his word choice. "I probably should have used the word ‘opponents' instead of enemies," the president declared. This incident is worth remembering as the president prepares to issue a far-reaching executive order that...

The White House has backed away from its push for mandatory cybersecurity standards in favor of an approach that would combine voluntary measures with incentives for companies to comply with them. That approach reflects recognition of the political reality of a divided Congress, which makes mandated standards difficult to push through, and a belief that an executive order President Obama signed in February could improve companies' cybersecurity. "This is a huge focus for my office right now —...

If President Obama heeds The Post's advice to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation [" A fairer workplace ," editorial, April 19], he should be careful to protect the liberties of religious organizations that receive federal contracts or grants but might object to homosexuality. The president should do this by including in an executive order the strong exemption for religious employers contained in the stalled Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)

If President Obama had issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination by federal contractors against gays and lesbians, he would have followed a proud tradition set by Democratic and Republican presidents. Instead, he punted. At least five previous presidents issued anti-discrimination directives, according to a count by the American Civil Liberties Union, but those did not cover gays and lesbians in companies doing business with the government. Seventy-two members of Congress sent the president a letter last week urging an...

President Obama ordered federal regulators Monday to step up efforts to prevent shortages and price fixing of life-saving prescription drugs, the latest White House initiative that does not require congressional approval. Obama's executive order directs the Food and Drug Administration to more broadly enforce reporting requirements for manufacturers running low on drugs, expedite review of new prescription drug suppliers and work with the Justice Department to prosecute price gouging.

Some industry groups and lawmakers are pushing back against a draft executive order that could require government contractors to disclose their donations to groups that participate in political activities. Opponents say the mandate, if issued, would politicize the procurement process because political appointees involved in contracting would have access to donation information, resulting in a "pay to play" scenario. Additionally, they argue the disclosure is unnecessary and would burden...

President Obama issued an executive order Wednesday giving the Treasury Department authority to freeze the U.S.-based assets of anyone who "obstructs" implementation of the administration-backed political transition in Yemen. The unusual order, which administration officials said also targets U.S. citizens who engage in activity deemed to threaten Yemen's security or political stability, is the first issued for Yemen that does not directly relate to counterterrorism. ...

The White House has backed away from its push for mandatory cybersecurity standards in favor of an approach that would combine voluntary measures with incentives for companies to comply with them. That approach reflects recognition of the political reality of a divided Congress, which makes mandated standards difficult to push through, and a belief that an executive order President Obama signed in February could improve companies' cybersecurity. "This is a huge focus for my office...

The April 3 front-page article " Obama aims to shift D.C. Circuit " highlighted a presidential judicial nomination made for the wrong reason. Concerning President Obama's nomination of Sri Srinivasan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the article stated, "Giving liberals a greater say on the D.C. Circuit is important for Obama as he looks for ways to circumvent the Republican-led House and a polarized Senate on a number of policy fronts through executive order and other administrative procedures.

RICHMOND — Virginia has become the latest GOP-led state to approve legislation that would ask voters to present a photo ID to cast a ballot. The measure, passed by the General Assembly last month and signed into law by Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) on Monday, could be in place for the 2014 elections. Virginia now joins Republican-controlled states including Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee and Louisiana that have approved similar measures. The change is subject to approval by the Department of Justice under Section 5 of the...

One might guess that a politically conservative evangelical pastor and a politically liberal rabbi would have little in common, and it is true that we have our differences. But we agree passionately about many things: that without robust religious liberty, democracy is weakened; that society is better off and the needs of the weak and the vulnerable can best be addressed when government and religion can partner effectively and within constitutional constraints; that America with...

With hours to go before $85 billion in automatic spending cuts are triggered, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has issued an executive order for the state to examine the possible effects of the cuts and best plan of action for the commonwealth. According to the White House , approximately 90,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be affected by the federal cuts known as the sequester. Army base funding would be slashed by $146 million, and Air Force...

Apple and Intel got nods in President Obama's State of the Union address, highlighting just one tech issue of many that made it into the Tuesday night speech. The major tech firms received presidential mentions for their efforts to bring some of their manufacturing back to the United States, efforts the companies had previously announced. Intel does nearly all of its chip manufacturing in the United States and has committed to invest billions in U.S. factories. Late last year, Apple chief executive Tim Cook...

Citing the growing threat from cyberattacks, President Obama on Tuesday announced that he had signed an executive order that calls for the creation of voluntary standards to boost the security of computer networks in critical industries such as those that keep trains from colliding and drinking water clean. "We know hackers steal people's identities and infiltrate private e-mail," he said in his State of the Union speech. "We know foreign countries and companies...

Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) announced Wednesday that he will create a "Teacher Cabinet" of advisers to influence high-level decisions that affect public schools . The teachers who will comprise most of the cabinet will be charged with developing recommendations for new ways to engage parents and close achievement gaps, and they will work on methods for improving the collaboration between public schools, colleges and workplaces....

RICHMOND — Virginia has become the latest GOP-led state to approve legislation that would ask voters to present a photo ID to cast a ballot. The measure, passed by the General Assembly last month and signed into law by Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) on Monday, could be in place for the 2014 elections. Virginia now joins Republican-controlled states including Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee and Louisiana that have approved similar measures. The change is subject to approval by the Department of Justice...

The de facto moratorium on fracking in Maryland seems likely to continue into 2014. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has included $1.5 million in his budget proposal for the next fiscal year for a study of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. But even if the legislature approves the funding, it appears unlikely that the study would produce conclusive results this year. And a spokesperson for O'Malley said that he isn't planning to propose any other legislation on fracking this legislative session.

‘Gosh!' Says Roosevelt On Death of Yamamoto — New York Times, May 22, 1943 President Franklin Roosevelt was truly astonished when told by a reporter that Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto , architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, had been shot down by U.S. planes over a Pacific island after Americans decrypted Yamamoto's flight plans. FDR had encouraged this "targeted killing" — destroying a particular person of military importance — a phrase that has become familiar since Israel began doing this in 2000 in...