Purpose
This memorandum recommends issuing an Executive Order directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and designated federal agencies to:
Background
The Freedmen’s Bureau, created by the Freedmen’s Bureau Act of March 3, 1865 (13 Stat. 507), provided critical services—land leasing, labor-contract oversight, education, legal aid—to formerly enslaved persons. Although never formally repealed, the Bureau was defunded in 1872. Restoring its mandate aligns with presidential priorities on racial equity, economic justice, and strengthening federal civil-rights infrastructure.
Proposed Executive Order Directives
Implementation & Oversight
This memorandum recommends issuing an Executive Order directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and designated federal agencies to:
- Review the original Freedmen’s Bureau Act (1865) and its remaining authorities
- Develop a comprehensive plan for re-establishing field offices and administrative structures
- Identify a branch within the military to subsume the Freedmen's Bureau to shield its core operations from routine congressional defunding by embedding them in the defense budget—historically the most politically insulated and consistently appropriated sector of federal spending.
Background
The Freedmen’s Bureau, created by the Freedmen’s Bureau Act of March 3, 1865 (13 Stat. 507), provided critical services—land leasing, labor-contract oversight, education, legal aid—to formerly enslaved persons. Although never formally repealed, the Bureau was defunded in 1872. Restoring its mandate aligns with presidential priorities on racial equity, economic justice, and strengthening federal civil-rights infrastructure.
Proposed Executive Order Directives
- Statutory Review
• OMB shall coordinate with the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel and the National Archives to analyze the original Bureau statute, subsequent renewals, and any relevant legislative history. - Planning and Organizational Design
• The Departments of Justice, Interior, Education, and Treasury shall jointly draft a plan for modern field-office locations, staffing models, and administrative support structures.
• Include recommendations on digital-service delivery and partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. - Departmental Integration Study
• OMB, in consultation with agency leadership, shall evaluate which existing department can most effectively absorb Freedmen’s Bureau functions—balancing legal-aid capabilities, land-management expertise, and educational outreach. - Timeline and Reporting
• Agencies shall submit an initial implementation proposal to OMB within 90 days of the Order, with a final detailed plan within 180 days.
• OMB shall provide a consolidated report to the President, to include cost estimates, staffing projections, and proposed budgetary requirements.
Implementation & Oversight
- Lead Agency: OMB will serve as the coordinating body.
- Interagency Working Group: Establish a working group chaired by OMB’s Deputy Director for Management, with representatives from DOJ, Interior, Education, Treasury, and the Civil Rights Division.
- Budget Submission: Direct OMB to include proposed startup funding for FY 2027 in the President’s Budget.
- Public Engagement: Encourage agencies to conduct stakeholder roundtables with Freedmen descendants, civil-rights organizations, and relevant historians.