Senate amendment takes aim at Obama's 'czars'
Republicans escalate their criticism of the president's plans to appoint more than 30 so-called policy coordinators, which includes a yet-to-be-named cybersecurity czar.
Sen. David Vitter introduced the anti-czar amendment to the 2010 Interior-Environment appropriations bill.
Lawmakers have filed more than 20 amendments to the $32.1 billion fiscal 2010 Interior-Environment appropriations bill, including a proposal from Sen. David Vitter, R-La., that would prohibit any of the bill's funds from being used to carry out directives from the White House climate change czar.
The amendment will ensure the climate czar is not directing actions of the departments and agencies funded in the bill, Vitter said.
The amendment comes as Republicans have escalated their criticism of the Obama administration for appointing more than 30 czars, also known as policy coordinators. Republicans say some of these appointees play a large role in crafting and implementing policy and should have to stand for Senate confirmation like the heads of most federal agencies.
[President Obama has yet to appoint a cybersecurity czar, who will have broad authority over governmentwide information security policies affecting federal and private networks. In announcing his intentions in May, Obama promised to treat networks and computers as a strategic national asset and said protecting them will be a national security priority.]
Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said on Thursday the czars are "an affront to the Constitution" and "anti-democratic."
He said in remarks on the floor, "It is a poor example of what was promised to be a new era of transparency. It is a poor way to manage the government."
Alexander and five other Republicans, including Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs ranking member Susan Collins from Maine, signed a letter on Monday asking Obama to refrain from naming more czars. They also want information on the responsibilities of 18 officials they believe are "undermining the constitutional oversight responsibilities of Congress or express statutory assignments of responsibility to other executive branch officials," Alexander said.
Democrats countered this week that former President George W. Bush's administration included 47 policy czars, yet there was no Republican outcry.
But the Vitter amendment might win some Democratic support. Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., raised similar concerns this week in a letter to Obama, and Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., wrote the White House on the issue in February.
The Senate will resume consideration of the bill on Sept. 21, with votes on amendments expected on Sept. 22.