The Obama administration came to office in January pledging not only to bring change but to also operate in a more transparent fashion than previous administrations. While there has been a dramatic shift in policy, it also appears the new administration has done very little to facilitate more transparency and accountability in governing. Quite the contrary; its practice of appointing a record number of "Czars" with as yet undetermined amounts of power has raised serious concerns.
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 Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law..."
Most Americans are familiar with the Senate's role in the confirmation of Supreme Court Justices and other high administration officials. The Congressional vetting of senior government officials is necessary to ensure that they possess the proper experience and character to responsibly exercise the considerable federal authority they would be granted. However, this administration appears to have avoided such review in its appointment of a significant number of special presidential advisors, known as "czars," to oversee a wide range of policy and federal spending. The number of such czars who have not been subjected to Congressional scrutiny surpasses 45 by some estimates.
Congress has a duty to investigate such government appointments to ensure that the public interest is protected. In mid-September, the Ranking Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wrote to the White House requesting details of the administration's process for screening each of its czars and the specific duties performed by each. The letter noted that Congressional approval of certain officers appointed by the president may be required in cases where these officers are granted the ability to "effectuate policy." Thus far, there has been no response from the White House to the letter.
The two senior minority members of the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees pointed to a number of czar appointments as examples of "wielding considerable power," including Herb Allison, the TARP Czar who oversees the $700 billion government bailout program, and, Earl Devaney, the Stimulus Accountability Czar who reviews the administration's $787 billion spending program.
Americans have a right to know who is being appointed by their government to make decisions affecting their everyday lives. To be fair, previous presidents, both Democrat and Republican, have also appointed czars to oversee certain policy areas. Their roles have proven useful in some instances, including the drug czar position which has been a fixture of recent administrations. However, given the increased number of such appointments by this administration, and the public concern over the background of a number of these appointees, the process of empowering czars has clearly grown to the point of requiring greater Congressional supervision.
As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am concerned about the accountability of czar appointees and have signed onto two separate bills in the House addressing this matter. I am an original cosponsor of H Con Res 185, expressing the sense of Congress that the president report to Congress on the responsibilities and the qualifications of appointed czars and that the president certify that they will not act outside their legal authority. I am also a cosponsor of HR 3226, which would effectively block federal funding of salaries and expenses of inappropriately appointed czars.
It's time this administration matches its words of greater transparency with deeds. It's time to reform the system of appointing czars.
Congressman Michael R. Turner represents Ohio's Third Congressional District and serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
