Continuity Of Government
By Karen Schumacher
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes…”. “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
Most will recognize this quotation from the Declaration of Independence. Is the United States there yet? Unbeknownst to many, the federal government has enshrined the inability to throw off such a Government.
Continuity of Government (COG) “is the principle of establishing defined procedures that allow a government to continue its essential operations in case of a catastrophic event such as nuclear war.”
However, its history began much differently. President Truman signed Executive Order (E.O.) 10346 in 1952, directing each federal agency, in consultation with the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA), to prepare plans to maintain essential functions in the event of a civil-defense emergency. It also included how citizens, in cooperation with the FCDA, could protect themselves as well. The FCDA was eventually merged into the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which was created by EO 12148 in 1976 by Jimmy Carter.
On February 12, 1962, President Kennedy, via E.O. 10952, again with the role of citizen participation, expanded this by establishing The Continuity of Government program which included a “shadow cabinet.” While the intent may have been to protect “the government from the illegal assumption of power by rival foreign powers” it also included protection from “anti-government organizations.”
George W. Bush took it a step further on September 11, 2001 by activating a “shadow government” to maintain control of the essential functions of the Federal Government.” In 2007, Bush enacted the National Security Presidential Directive 51 that includes a “Continuity of Government Readiness Conditions (COGCON) system” which the president alone issues. COGCON levels are outlined in the 2007 National Continuity Policy Implementation Plan from pages 68-73, and is still in effect today.
Following other Presidential executive orders, Obama added to this via E.O. 13603 and 13618 in 2012, literally taking over all resources and communications in the event of these types of emergencies.
In 2021, President Trump issued E.O. 13961 “to continuously perform National Essential Functions (NEFs-pg 7)”, which are “select functions necessary to lead and sustain the Nation during a catastrophic emergency” and are included in multiple federal agencies such as FEMA (pg A-1) and NOAA. In typical fashion for the government to grow itself, Primary Mission Essential Functions (PMEF), Mission Essential Functions (MEF), and others have added other detailed layers.
As seen, over the years the federal government has taken numerous measures to ensure protection of its own existence, ensuring there could be no threat from citizens as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. COG specifics are outlined in law, policy, and plans, however some of those measures are not public information. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Defense (now Department of War), Department of Energy, and other federal agencies have some form of COG policy. Along the way, citizens were dumped out of the equation.
COG continues to exist today. War Secretary Pete Hegseth used this language in his comments regarding the military helicopter and American Airlines 5342 crash at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January, 2025. The helicopter was “retraining a continuity of government mission.” In spite of having created an E.O. relevant to the COG, President Trump didn’t seem to know what Hegseth was talking about. Maybe the Shadow Government could remind him.
In his quest to dismantle FEMA and turn its functions over to the states there is no mention of what would happen to its COG functions other than “Overhauling national continuity policy to modernize its framework, streamline operations, and right-size the federal footprint for sustained readiness.” What strings will be attached to how that money and framework will be used upon the states?
If all of this is difficult to swallow, unexpected disclosure of one plan to put Americans away arose in 1984 during the Iran-Contra hearings, called Rex 84. It authorized the government to round up Americans during civil unrest. Most have heard of the FEMA camps, but should Americans be afraid of their own government? Perhaps that is why the Founders put notice in the Declaration of Independence.
Hmmm, when speaking about those camps, “The Posse Comitatus Act generally prohibits the use of federal military forces to execute domestic law, which includes making arrests, conducting searches, or operating civilian detention facilities. This act serves as a statutory barrier against the military taking on a domestic law enforcement role.” Naturally, this has been negated by other legislation that allows the federal government to intervene.
As America becomes more chaotic with protests, electing socialists to office, and corruption in state governments, Alex Newman discusses how the federal government can be neutralized by states.
Ahhh, it is comforting to know that regardless of what happens, our government will be preserved for our safety and protection, even if it is in response to an uprising against it for becoming the tyrannical monster that our Founders warned us about. As the government continues to monitor the land for domestic terrorists, or just label any dissenter as one, it should be asking itself if once again it has far exceeded its Constitutional boundaries.