Harris4LarouchePAC
09-10-2009, 11:43 AM
This is a letter to the Committe on Oversight and Government Reform by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC).
The full text of the letter follows:
Dear Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa,
I respectfully request a hearing by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the responsibilities of the Obama Administrations various czars.
Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution provides that the President shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint high government officials. The Senate's role is clearly defined in this process, requiring its advice and consent to presidential appointments to high-level positions in Cabinet departments and independent agencies.
Since taking office in January, President Obama has appointed 44 policy adviser czars with positions of responsibility ranging from conducting our nations foreign policy to overhauling our health care system. These czars are neither vetted by the Senate nor required to testify before Congress on their activities. Furthermore, the scope and limitations of their authority still remain unclear.
Each of the two possible scenarios here is troubling. If the czars have high-level, decision-making authority as their titles would indicate, then it is my concern that their appointment without Senate approval represents a circumvention of our Constitutionally-mandated confirmation process. On the other hand, if the czars have no actual power, then I am equally concerned that taxpayers are fronting the bill for the salaries of these figureheads and their staff.
Just this past weekend, the President's Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones, resigned after details about his radical views and previous inappropriate comments surfaced in the media. Mr. Jones' questionable past would have been brought to light before he took his position had he been vetted by the Senate. His ability to slip into a position of power without due Congressional diligence only further underscores the necessity for a confirmation process.
I ask that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in its capacity as investigator of our federal bureaucracy, bring these appointed czars before the full committee to testify on their authority and responsibilities. The American public deserves no less than the transparency and accountability promised by this Administration of its appointed officials.
The full text of the letter follows:
Dear Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa,
I respectfully request a hearing by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the responsibilities of the Obama Administrations various czars.
Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution provides that the President shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint high government officials. The Senate's role is clearly defined in this process, requiring its advice and consent to presidential appointments to high-level positions in Cabinet departments and independent agencies.
Since taking office in January, President Obama has appointed 44 policy adviser czars with positions of responsibility ranging from conducting our nations foreign policy to overhauling our health care system. These czars are neither vetted by the Senate nor required to testify before Congress on their activities. Furthermore, the scope and limitations of their authority still remain unclear.
Each of the two possible scenarios here is troubling. If the czars have high-level, decision-making authority as their titles would indicate, then it is my concern that their appointment without Senate approval represents a circumvention of our Constitutionally-mandated confirmation process. On the other hand, if the czars have no actual power, then I am equally concerned that taxpayers are fronting the bill for the salaries of these figureheads and their staff.
Just this past weekend, the President's Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones, resigned after details about his radical views and previous inappropriate comments surfaced in the media. Mr. Jones' questionable past would have been brought to light before he took his position had he been vetted by the Senate. His ability to slip into a position of power without due Congressional diligence only further underscores the necessity for a confirmation process.
I ask that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in its capacity as investigator of our federal bureaucracy, bring these appointed czars before the full committee to testify on their authority and responsibilities. The American public deserves no less than the transparency and accountability promised by this Administration of its appointed officials.