Executive Order 10914 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 10914—Providing for an Expanded Program of Food Distribution to Needy Families

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Saturday, January 21, 1961

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1 min read (257 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President John F. Kennedy on 1961-01-21, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Providing for an Expanded Program of Food Distribution to Needy Families." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Reviewed under the Tenth Amendment and the principle of dual federalism, this order touches upon domains traditionally reserved to the sovereign States. The Framers would caution against any attempt to commandeer state officers or displace local police powers through federal executive fiat.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: The Secretary of Agriculture shall take immediate steps to expand and improve the program of food distribution throughout the United States, utilizing funds and existing statutory authority available to him, including section 32 of the Act of August 24,1935, as amended (7 U.S.C.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners 🏛️ Foreign Nations & International Entities

Total Words

257

1,587 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

25.4

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 10914, John F. Kennedy (Jan 21, 1961). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-10914-providing-for-expanded-program-food-distribution-needy-families.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

Whereas one of the most important and urgent problems confronting this Nation today is the development of a positive food and nutrition program for all Americans; Whereas I have received the report of the Task Force on Area Redevelopment under the chairmanship of Senator Douglas, in which special emphasis is placed upon the need for additional food to supplement the diets of needy persons in areas of chronic unemployment; Whereas I am also advised that there are now almost 7 million persons receiving some form of public assistance, that 4.5 million persons are reported as being unemployed and that a substantial number of needy persons are not recipients in the present food distribution program; Whereas the variety of foods currently being made available is limited and its nutritional content inadequate; and Whereas despite an abundance of food, farm income has been in a period of decline, and a strengthening of farm prices is desirable. NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: The Secretary of Agriculture shall take immediate steps to expand and improve the program of food distribution throughout the United States, utilizing funds and existing statutory authority available to him, including section 32 of the Act of August 24,1935, as amended (7 U.S.C. 612), so as to make available for distribution, through appropriate State and local agencies, to all needy families a greater variety and quantity of food out of our agricultural abundance. JOHN F. KENNEDY THE WHITE HOUSE, January 21, 1961