Tuesday, October 6, 2009
1:14 PM
Feingold convenes hearing on White House 'czars'
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold convened the Senate Judiciary Committee's Constitution Subcommittee today to examine the role of so-called "czars" within the Obama White House, hoping to "have an informed, reasoned, thoughtful discussion about the constitutional issues surrounding the president's appointment of certain executive branch officials."
The Middleton Democrat, who chairs the subcommittee, has joined some conservative commentators in expressing concerns about the administration officials. Feingold, in particular, is worried about presidential appointments to key positions overruling Congressional oversight of the Cabinet.
"No one disputes that the president is allowed to hire advisors and aides," Feingold said in his opening statement at the committee hearing. "But Congress and the American people have the right to ensure that the positions in our government that have been delegated legal authority are also the positions that are exercising that authority."
Feingold lamented that the Obama administration did not send a witness to testify at the hearing, and said the observations that Republican presidents also appointed czars don't apply to the current discussion.
"While there is a long history of the use of White House advisors and czars, that does not mean we can assume they are constitutionally appropriate," Feingold said. "It's not good enough to simply say, 'well, George Bush did it too.'"
In a letter sent Monday from White House counsel Gregory Craig, the administration told Feingold that "none of the positions... raises any valid concerns about accountability, transparency, or congressional oversight."
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