WASHINGTON (CNN) – A Republican on the House Appropriations Committee is attempting to pull the financial plug on the Obama administration's many "czars."
Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia introduced legislation Wednesday that prohibits use of government funds to pay the salaries or expenses of individuals in the new administration that have been appointed by President Obama without the advice and consent of the Senate. The financial prohibition in the "Czar Accountability and Reform Act (CZAR) of 2009" extends to the staffs of the administration's "czars."
The president has named aides or so-called "czars" with responsibility for a number of areas including energy/climate change, health care reform, enforcement of federal drug laws, and the automotive industry.
The White House declined to comment on Kingston's legislation.
Article II, Section 2 of the 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: but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.
"Why won't the President use transparency and have these people come before the Senate and undergo the constitutionally-mandated process?," Kingston asked in a release announcing his amendment to an appropriations bill.
"It seems President Obama is in the midst of forming a parallel government to push his policies," Kingston also said Wednesday. The Georgia Republican added that the positions occupied by Obama's so-called "czars" "duplicate existing Senate-confirmed positions."
Seventeen other House Republicans have joined Kingston in sponsoring the anti-czar bill.
In February, Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia criticized the new administration's use of "czars" to oversee policy in several areas.
"As presidential assistants and advisers, these White House staffers are not accountable for their actions to the Congress, to cabinet officials, and to virtually anyone but the president," Byrd wrote in a letter to Obama. "In too many instances, White House staff have been allowed to inhibit openness and transparency, and reduce accountability."
From CNN Politics
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seems like a good idea....................as I remember, there is something about "checks and balances"????
32 czars, that's unbelievable. How much taxpayer's money for those czars? What do they do? What's the accountability for them?
Oh my. What will they pick on next?
Will they ever get down to the business of trying to present workable, acceptable, intelligent suggestions to help our country and us?
The party of no is completely loosing it.
The republicans didn't mind spending trillions on an illegal war or on rebuilding Iraq but darnnit they draw the line on anything that will help this country.
If things were reversed and there was a Republican in the White House rather than the obamanation, then the Dems would love this idea and would be screaming from the rooftops for it to happen. Instead, I'm just waiting for the Dems to start screaming about what a bad idea it is.
Obama is a poor excuse for a president and as an American I am embarrassed...........
The Czar positions are unconstitutional and do not have adequate congressial oversight. Those executive positions/power should be done by the cabinet members. What is this Russia? Obama is expanding the role of government too much. We need to impeach Obama before he bankrupts and socializes our country!!! Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Micheal Bloomberg all would have been better choices for president.
Good God I was thinking I was the only one who was concerned with all these Czars.....
We have zero need for these offices under any administration
Or perhaps more importantly, why isn't the Congressman addressing the concerns of the country rather than on a critique of the President?
And why isn't the senate approving the people who are nominated, and not even voting?
Let's talk about health care Congressman. How long will the GOP stand in the way of the US joining the first world in caring for the citizenry? Since they can do it, and you say we can't, does that make them better than us in your view? Let's get it done.
oooooooh – 18 people. Scarey
That's funny. Past presidents dem and repub alike have appointed czars for all types of issues. It's never been a problem until now. Hmmm... I'm sure if the republicans look a little harder they can come up with more things to stall, block and delay. It's like they're not trying hard enough: the entire country hasn't come to a grinding halt. Have a nice day!
Throw any and everything out there and see if it stick. Darn repubs stop making yourselves look even weaker.
the repubs are like a herd of blind elephants driving down a steep hill not wondering will they crash and burn but when.
The czars are a total waste of tax payers money, especially in these tough economic times. This includes the few czars Bush had. We have a President and his cabinet along with Congress that is enough.
It is time to get rid of the czars!
100% Accountability....They are a waste of tax money, but then again so is Obama.
Where were these people during the last 8 years when Bush/Cheney ran amok changing the way govt was run and making their own rules.
A couple of these czars are convicted criminals and how many of them are tax cheats? Nothing like transparency by obamby. CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN....
What's a constitution? There is one? What stupid rRepublican trick is this trying to use this against the administration. This is America! He is President. He can do whatever he wants. Oh thats a dictatorship, oops!
I read that crappy legislation and it's just a way for the Party Of No to continue to be the Party Of Obstruction, the Party of Hypocrites, the Party of No Ideas, the Party of .......you get the point!
WAIT WAIT WAIT!!!
Are you telling me that the republicans are compaining about a decision, or an action, or any move that President Obama makes?!?!? *GASP! i'M SHOCKED! Shocked I tell you.
Now, really, at this point, is there anything that Obama does that does not draw criticism from the other side?
These repuglicans complain about Obama reading from a teleprompter...of course they are going to complain about everything else. It's all they can do
As Byrd noted, these czar's are not accountable to anyone but the President. What happens later, if there is some sort of scandal and the czar's are called upon to testify. Does Congress hold any authority to call the czar's to testify? If Congress currently does not have this authority over these positions, then I think the czar's should go through a confirmation process.
As the Constitution states, Congress can pass legislation that the President can appoint minor positions (not sure of a czar would qualify as a minor position), so this may be a moot point. But, I think it is worth a discussion.
Good for you Congressman Kingston!
I'm sure many Democrats will come on here and speak of important issues such as the accent of the Republican representative or whether he had an affair. But please do us a favor and discuss the issue. I work for the Fed and we are employing many additional people at a very high salary outside of the mainstream gov't. Just for a moment consider if this is a good thing or not before you start the Republican bashing.
The biggest problem is that the socialism czar resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
About time someone moves to nip this in the bud............
mmmmm....like cheney and all his private appointees, meetings and orders and he wasn't even president.