Huffington Post: Obama Bars Oil And Gas Development In Alaska’s Bristol Bay
Washington Post: Obama bans drilling in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, citing risk to salmon fishery
EcoWatch: Obama Permanently Protects Alaska’s Bristol Bay From Oil and Gas Development
Adventure Journal: Obama Saves Alaska’s Bristol Bay from Energy Development
Grist: Obama’s latest green move: Banning drilling in Alaska’s Bristol Bay
Seattle Times: Obama rules out oil-drilling in Alaska’s Bristol Bay
Seattle PI: President Obama: No oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s Bristol Bay
ThinkProgress: Obama Takes Executive Action To Protect Alaska’s Coastline Forever
LosAngeles Times: Obama protects Alaska’s Bristol Bay from oil and gas drilling
USA Today: Obama issues ‘executive orders by another name’
Drudge Report: OBAMA QUIETLY WIELDS POWER THROUGH ‘MEMORANDA’
Obama has issued executive orders to give federal employees the day after Christmas off, to impose economic sanctions and to determine how national secrets are classified. He’s used presidential memoranda to make policy on gun control, immigration and labor regulations.
Tuesday, he used a memorandum to declare Bristol Bay, Alaska, off-limits to oil and gas exploration.
Like executive orders, presidential memoranda don’t require action by Congress. They have the same force of law as executive orders and often have consequences just as far-reaching. And some of the most significant actions of the Obama presidency have come not by executive order but by presidential memoranda.
USA TODAY: Sen. Grassley: Obama plays word game with executive orders
Procedurally, a memorandum is worse than an executive order, since there is even less public awareness and transparency associated with an executive memorandum.
In short, his administration has used word games to try to hoodwink the public about the extent of his executive actions.
