Presidential Memoranda: Fiduciary Rule, National Security

Fiduciary Duty Rule

This memorandum was issued February 3rd, 2017 and is addressed to the Secretary of Labor.  This memo has a preamble which gives a reference to the Final rule issued April 8, 2016 that was issued.  The fiduciary duty rule required that investment advisors act in the best interest of the investor.  It was opposed by large financial firms.  It has 2 sections

Section 1

This section directs the Secretary of Labor to review the Fiduciary Duty Rule and proposes grounds under which it should be modified or rescinded and that this rule-making process should be put into process.

Section 2

This section includes the necessary legal fine print to assure that the memorandum does not step beyond the constitutional limits of the executive and that the memorandum be published in the Federal Register.

Plan to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

This memorandum was issued January 28th, 2017 and is directed to many members of the cabinet.  The memorandum has a preamble and 3 sections.

Preamble

This section discusses various acts that have performed by and in the name of ISIS.

Section 1

This section states that the policy of the US is to defeat ISIS.

Section 2

This section references the interagency process which was established in a separate memo also published on January 28. 2017 (see below).

Section 3

This details actions to be taken to create a plan to defeat ISIS.  These actions include:

• Immediate start for development of the plan with a draft to be submitted to the President for 30 days.
• Recommendations with regards to changes to rules of engagement.
• Strategy for diplomacy, information operations and cyber operations.
• Identifying new coalition partners (I think this meant closer cooperation with Russia)
• Use of financial tools and/or sanctions against ISIS.
• Budgeting

Organization of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council

This memorandum was issued on January 28th, 2017 and is addressed to the entire cabinet. This long memorandum discusses the National Security Council, who sits on it and what it does.  At the time when it was issued, there was concerns expressed because Steve Bannon was included in the Principals Committee and that it appeared to be unprecedented that a largely political advisor would be included in discussions about National Security.  (The argument is that insofar as national security goes, you do what is best for the country regardless of politics;  why have someone who pushes politics all the time be involved?)