United States federal government continuity of operations

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides guidance to the private sector for business continuity planning purposes.

The public can now tour one such facility, intended to house the entire United States Congress, on the grounds of the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

[4] The George W. Bush administration put the Continuity of Operations plan into effect for the first time directly following the September 11 attacks.

[5][6] In 2007, Larry Sabato, a professor at the University of Virginia, criticized the incomplete nature of the plan in his book A More Perfect Constitution.

In particular, he objected to the fact that there is no constitutional procedure for replacing U.S. House members in the case of a large-scale disaster that could potentially kill a large number of representatives.

On July 18, 2007, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), a member of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security at that time, requested the classified and more detailed version of the government's continuity-of-operations plan in a letter signed by him and the chairperson of the House Homeland Security Committee, which is supposed to have access to confidential government information.

The preamble of the CGC 1 states that its function is to provide "direction to the non-Federal Governments (NFGs) for developing continuity plans and programs.

Continuity planning facilitates the performance of essential functions during all-hazards emergencies or other situations that may disrupt normal operations.

CGC 1 parallels the information in FCD 1 closely, but is geared to states, territories, tribal and local governments, and private-sector organizations.

[14] Transcripts from the hearing in the New York Times record the following dialogue between Congressman Jack Brooks, Oliver North's attorney Brendan Sullivan and Senator Daniel Inouye, the Democratic Chair of the Committee:[15] [Congressman Jack] Brooks: Colonel North, in your work at the N.S.C.

During the Cold War, the United States constructed bunkers to help provide survivability to military command and government officials.