Areas of Investigation

The Continuity of Government Commission will address the continuity of all three branches of government:

Continuity of Congress - The central issue the commission will address is how Congress would function after a terrorist attack. Because of the possibility of large numbers of incapacitated members or vacancies, Congress might not be able to function unless some provision is made to replace members who are deceased or unable to perform their duties. A crippled Congress might not even be able to meet its quorum requirement in a time of crisis.

Presidential Succession - In a second phase of the project, the commission will look at issues surrounding the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, with an eye to ensure that there is a clear transfer of power to the appropriate successor in a time of crisis.

Continuity of the Supreme Court - In the aftermath of a terrorist attack, there might be significant institutional questions over which the Supreme Court would have to rule. The Supreme Court has a quorum requirement of six, and there are a number of other questions about the status of lower court appeals if the Court were disabled for a significant amount of time.