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EO 14138Executive OrderBiden · D

Executive Order 14138

Providing an Order of Succession Within the Office of Management and Budget

This executive order establishes a formal line of succession for the Office of Management and Budget Director position, listing 12 specific OMB officials who would assume acting duties if both the Director and Deputy Director become unavailable. It revokes the previous succession order from 2012 and adds several new positions, including climate and electronic government administrators, that did not exist in the prior order.

Federal Register Open PDF 90 FR 2585

Impact dates

  1. EO takes effect; prior succession order revoked

Key directives

  • Establish 12-person succession order for OMB Director starting with Deputy Director for Management
  • Disqualify acting officials from ascending via this succession order
  • Require eligibility under Federal Vacancies Reform Act for succession
  • Preserve presidential discretion to designate acting Director outside this order
  • Revoke Executive Order 13615 of May 21, 2012

Timeline

Immediate

  • Revocation of EO 13615 (2012 succession order)
  • New succession order takes effect upon signing

Near term (90d)

—

Long term

  • Applies whenever dual vacancy in Director and Deputy Director positions occurs

Risks & tensions

  • Climate/energy/science and electronic government positions are new additions vs. 2012 order, reflecting institutional evolution but untested in crisis
  • Acting officials barred from succession may create gap if multiple top roles are simultaneously filled by actings
  • Presidential discretion clause (Sec. 2(c)) may render formal succession list symbolic in practice
Executive Order 14138: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Office of Management and Budget · Executive Orders