Pres. Could Seize Radio, Internet, under New Exec. Order

[Demeter]

http://www.progressive.org/pres_could_seize_radio_internet_new_exec_order.html

President Obama continues to plan for emergencies in a way that aggrandizes the power of the Executive Branch. Back in March, in a creepy executive order, entitled “National Defense Resources Preparedness,” Obama authorized the President and cabinet officials to take over crucial aspects of the national economy—not only during emergencies but also in peacetime. Then, just 10 days ago, on July 6, Obama issued another executive order, entitled, “Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions.”

The order says this is pursuant to section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S. C. 6066), which states, in part:

“The President, if he deems it necessary in the interest of national security or defense, may suspend or amend, for such time as he may see fit, the rules and regulations applicable to any or all stations or devices capable of emitting electromagnetic radiations within the jurisdiction of the United States . . . and may cause the closing of any station for radio communication, or any device capable of emitting electromagnetic radiations between 10 kilocycles and 100,000 megacycles . . . and the removal therefrom of its apparatus and equipment, or he may authorize the use or control of any such station or device and/or its apparatus and equipment, by any department of the Government under such regulations as he may prescribe upon just compensation to the owners.”

Obama’s executive order authorizes the heads of Homeland Security and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to make recommendations to the President on how he might enforce that 1934 law. It also empowers the head of Homeland Security to make sure, “in conditions of crisis or emergency,” that the executive branch maintains “priority communications requirements through the use of commercial, government, and privately owned communications resources.”

Does this mean the President can grab hold of the radio dial and the Internet?

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[teddy51]

1. I don't think that is his style, and certainly would bring an end to his current

popularity if tried something like that. US citizens would never sit back and let something like that happen, they would actually leave AI and act, I think.

[Chef Eric]

3. Not his style? Then what is the purpose of the executive order?

And what about the "style" of the next President? Or the President after that? Or the President after that? Do you want ANY President to have the power to commandeer the nation's radiowaves?

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. it's been there since 1934

How do you claim this EO is different from previous EOs that refer to the 1934 act?

Or is it that you've always objected to the 1934 act?

[roseBudd]

6. Umm, like an unprecedented disaster on a national scope?

That is what the creation of the internet was initially for

[Roselma]

2. Snopes

ramps down the crazy on this (no direct answer to the complaints in the link)

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/ndrp.asp

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. The quotes from the EO are taken out of context in that article

The only mention of "priority communications requirements" in the Executive Order is:

Sec. 5.2. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall: (a) ...

(e) satisfy priority communications requirements through the use of commercial, Government, and privately owned communications resources, when appropriate;

It's not associated with "in conditions of crisis or emergency" (though that phrase turns up elsewhere in the EO 4 times). Notice it's not actually about 'grabbing hold' of anything; it's about making sure the government can satisfy its requirements. If you're paranoid, you think this means the evil government is coming to seize your frequencies; if you're normal, it means they'll pay for it, or make sure the Emergency Alert System still works.

If there is something in the EO that is significantly different from the situation before it was issued, then the author ought to do soem damn work and tell us what, rather than picking phrases out at random and claiming this is a power grab.

Here's the 1984 version, for instance:

The NCS shall seek to ensure that a national telecommunications infrastructure is developed which:
...
Is capable of satisfying priority telecommunications requirements under all circumstances through use of commercial, government and privately owned telecommunications resources;

http://www.ncs.gov/library/policy_docs/eo_12472.html

[struggle4progress]

7. It means Obama, the Space Aliens, and the UN are gonna confiscate our guns and birth certificates!