Executive Order 13539

Executive Order 13539
Executive order number	13539
Type	Executive order
Executive order	13539
Signed by	Barack Obama
Signed date	April 21, 2010
Federal register	[https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/04/23/2010-9693/establishment-of-the-national-commission-on-fiscal-responsibility-and-reform 75 FR 21177]

Executive Order 13539 was issued by President Barack Obama on April 21, 2010, establishing the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The order was a direct response to growing concerns over the long-term fiscal health of the United States, particularly regarding the sustainability of Social Security, Medicare, and other major entitlement programs. Its primary purpose was to create a bipartisan panel tasked with identifying policies to improve the nation's fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run.

Background and purpose

The order was promulgated against a backdrop of significant budgetary pressures following the Great Recession, which had led to large federal budget deficits and a rapidly rising national debt. There was broad consensus among economists and policymakers, including members of Congress and officials at the Department of the Treasury, that unsustainable fiscal trajectories posed a threat to future economic growth. The commission was modeled in part on previous successful bipartisan efforts, such as the BRAC Commission, and was intended to forge consensus on politically difficult tax and spending reforms outside the immediate pressures of the legislative calendar.

Establishment of the Commission

Executive Order 13539 formally established the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform as an independent, bipartisan body within the Executive Office of the President. The order charged the commission with conducting a comprehensive review of the federal government's fiscal situation and submitting a report containing its findings and recommendations. The commission was directed to operate in a manner similar to that of the Greenspan Commission of the early 1980s, aiming to provide actionable proposals to the President and the United States Congress.

Key provisions and responsibilities

The order outlined several specific mandates for the commission. Its key responsibility was to propose recommendations designed to balance the primary budget (excluding interest payments) by 2015, thereby stabilizing the debt-to-GDP ratio and putting it on a declining path. The commission was instructed to review all areas of the federal budget, including both discretionary and mandatory spending, as well as the structure of the Internal Revenue Code. Furthermore, the order required the commission to address the long-term solvency of Social Security and the growth of health care costs, which are primary drivers of the nation's long-term fiscal imbalance.

Membership and appointments

The commission was composed of eighteen members. Six members were appointed by the President, including two from each political party and two additional members chosen by the President, one of whom was designated as the chair and another as the vice chair. The remaining twelve members were appointed by the leadership of the United States Congress: three each by the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Senate Minority Leader. Notable appointees included co-chairs Erskine Bowles, a former White House Chief of Staff under President Bill Clinton, and former Senator Alan Simpson.

Impact and implementation

While the commission's final report, known as the Bowles–Simpson report, was released in December 2010 and failed to secure the supermajority vote required for formal congressional consideration, its impact was substantial. The report's detailed proposals for tax reform, spending cuts, and changes to Social Security influenced subsequent budget debates and provided a benchmark for fiscal policy discussions. Elements of its recommendations were reflected in later legislative efforts, including the Budget Control Act of 2011, which established the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the "Supercommittee").

Related executive orders

Executive Order 13539 is part of a series of presidential actions aimed at addressing government efficiency and fiscal management. It shares thematic connections with Executive Order 13531, which established the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, another independent investigative panel. Later, Executive Order 13755 under President Donald Trump amended the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, demonstrating the ongoing use of executive orders to shape advisory and oversight bodies within the federal government.

Category:Executive orders of Barack Obama Category:2010 in American law Category:United States federal budgets