Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies of 
                the

                Federal Government on Friday, December 26, 2003

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. All executive branch departments and 
                agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and 
                their employees excused from duty on Friday, December 
                26, 2003, the day after Christmas Day, except as 
                provided in section 2 below.

                Sec. 2. The heads of executive branch departments and 
                agencies may determine that certain offices and 
                installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, 
                must remain open and that certain employees must report 
                for duty on December 26, 2003, for reasons of national 
                security or defense or other public need.

                Sec. 3. Friday, December 26, 2003, shall be considered 
                as falling within the scope of Executive Order 11582 of 
                February 11, 1971, and of 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 6103(b) and 
                other similar statutes insofar as they relate to the 
                pay and leave of employees of the United States.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    December 9, 2003.