Appointments During National Emergency

This executive order invokes emergency appointment authority under 10 U.S.C. § 603 for the Secretary of Defense, allowing expedited civilian personnel appointments without normal competitive hiring procedures during the ongoing national emergency declared after September 11, 2001.

Federal Register Open PDF 68 FR 74465

Impact dates

Dec 17, 2003
EO takes effect, emergency appointments authority invoked

Key directives

Invoke section 603 of title 10, United States Code emergency appointments authority for Secretary of Defense
Apply authority in accordance with Executive Order 12396 of December 9, 1982

Who is ordered

Secretary of Defense · Department of Defense

Timeline

Immediate

Emergency appointments authority becomes available to Secretary of Defense

Near term (90d)

Potential acceleration of DoD civilian hiring processes

Long term

Continued availability of emergency hiring authority for duration of national emergency

Risks & tensions

No explicit sunset or review mechanism specified in EO text
Duration tied to continuation of Proclamation 7463 national emergency, which was extended repeatedly
Pre-emptive judicial review bar (Section 2) limits accountability mechanisms
Vague: scope and scale of intended hiring surge not quantified