GOP Introduces Bill to Roll Back Executive Branch ‘Czars’
- Posted on January 6, 2011 at 11:20pm by
Meredith Jessup
- Print »
- Email »
A group of nearly 30 Republican members of the House of Representatives has introduced a bill to rein in the various “czars” serving in the Obama administration.
Van Jones, former WH green jobs "czar"
The bill mirrors similar legislation introduced in the 111th Congress that was not allowed to advanced under Democrats’ majority control.
But with Republicans commanding the House majority in the 112th Congress, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., and the 28 other Republican co-sponsors on the bill are hoping to do away with the informal, paid advisers President Obama has employed over the last two years.
The Hill reports:
The legislation, which was introduced in the last Congress but was not allowed to advance under Democratic control, would do away with the 39 czars Obama has employed during his administration.
The bill defines a czar as “a head of any task force, council, policy office within the Executive Office of the President, or similar office established by or at the direction of the President” who is appointed to a position that would otherwise require Senate confirmation.
Republicans had complained about the president’s use of czars to help advance his agenda in Congress. In particular, the GOP had harped about the personal history of Van Jones, the president’s czar for “green jobs,” over past comments Jones had made about Fox News came to light. Jones eventually resigned.
Another prominent czar over the past year was Carol Browner, the president’s energy and environmental adviser. She helped head up efforts in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and the ultimately unsuccessful effort for an energy and climate bill from Congress.
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 692 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 492 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 375 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 343 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 330 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 315 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 330 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 238 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 148 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 315 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (184)
piper60
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 3:21amI have been suggesting this for weeks. Sent an e-mail to the speaker of the house wednesday night, as a matter of fact. They need to make it ILLEGAL for the prez to simply appoint them. Also, if they are successful, this could save taxpayers a shedload of money.
Report Post »Anne G
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 3:17amPlease get rid of these fools, or at least take away their teeth! Whatever it takes,
Report Post »we need to be rid of them. Forget nudging, SHOVE’EM the hell out!
spreadcommonsensenot pc
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 3:15amroll back nothing, BOOT THESE CLOWNS OUT OF THE COUNTRY
Report Post »HarryFromMA
Posted on November 29, 2011 at 12:16pmHey! Stop insulting the clowns!
Report Post »Call them clods, klutzes, creeps, mental cream-puffs, etc.
Clowns are good.
Obama czars bad.
Real bad.
brliantedj
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:36amMy mom was royalty under the czar regime. She was exemplary and I obeyed her stance. I otherforce relinquish her power upon the the common folk for “WE ARE THE PEOPLE”
Report Post »Mizpah55
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:26amIt is about time that something be done about these undocumeted government dictators!!!
Report Post »Ronko
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:23amThe only one that needs to go is Cass Sunstein as the rest are irrelevent but tackle the debt 1st. Cass is going to be done in 2012 regardless of what the Repubs do this year.
Report Post »scguitar
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:21amI have to say, I am so far pretty impressed with this new House of rep. Lets pray they keep up the good work.
Report Post »ReligionOfPeaceMyAss
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:18amThis is Excellent News…. We need to get rid of these unconfirmed and unelected bureaucrats who make policy for the American people that effect our everyday lives but they have not accountability, They don’t answer to congress or the American people.
Report Post »CaptainSpaulding
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:06amBout time.
Report Post »Plankchapel
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:00amCharles Carroll – signer of the Declaration of Independence :
” Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure…are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.” [To James McHenry on November 4, 1800.]
Did you get that? “…MORALS, the best security for the duration of free governments.”
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:58amI think that it’s funny that after the Progressives (Democrats) forced the beginnings of Socialized Medicine on a center-right America, the Republicans have control of the House, and will be in charge of it.
The Democrats literally have no say on what happens next. Obama Care should be fully repealed because no one wants it, except the far-left crazies. I fully expect that the Senate will also be controlled by Republicans in 2012, and Obama and his “Czars” will also disappear in 2012.
Next, get rid of all the public service unions. When people actually die because of the actions of a public service union, as what happened in New York City, it’s time to get rid of them.
“We the People” pay for their salaries and benefits, and they are answerable to us. No one forced them to work for a governmental agency, and it‘s time that they realize that they shouldn’t be better off than the people they serve.
I hope that some Union Head goes to prison for what happened in NYC.
Report Post »RPGZero
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:43amIf the GOP somehow manages to rid the government of Cass Sunstine this early in the game, this alone would have made November 2nd worth it.
Report Post »questionwithboldness
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:54amditto
Report Post »momsense
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 7:47amAmen–the idea of “death panels” comes from his ” Whole Lives Theory i.e. the government has the right to tell you when to die because it thinks you no longer have use. One of the Progressive,(Darwinian ) standards they apply to living things. They’ll cry buckets over the loss of a 2 inch fish and then kill off thousands of elderly whom they consider a burden.
Report Post »dcwu
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:28amImpeach.
Report Post »jreb50
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:24amLet us hope and pray that the new Congress will be successful in their attemtps to move our country back to the position that the Founder’s intended. They will have to battle the MSM when this story gets out and all the rest of those who are hell-bent in turning our country into a communist country.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:21amThis is more like it, obama will be so pi——–ed! How do you like us so far mr. president? OOOORAH !………….Keep the ball rolling and make us proud. Good news for conservatives, and for THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA.
Report Post »mrmikejohnson
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:20amThis is in the right direction. They need to think bigger. The EPA, the Fed, and the FCC need to be elimanated. No one that’s not elected and accountable to the taxpayers should have any real power.
Report Post »Krutch
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:33amI agree with you on that!!!! Not elected, no power! And elected, little power!
Report Post »Mike777
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:08amAfter getting rid of all the czar next lobbyists need to go. Lets make K street into condo’s for for the homeless.
Report Post »Slowman101
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:04amLets have honest government. Give the czars the boot!
Report Post »NickDeringer
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:52amIs this political theater?
In light of the fact that the GOP is planning to do this tomorrow, it just might be:
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/01/06/dear-house-republicans-this-will-be-unacceptable/
Report Post »twotwins
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:46amWho in the heck approved of the word “czar” anyway . That is Marx/Engals clan speaking – and the Politburo – and the Commisars . . . . . puhleeeez! This is America!
How much do these bozos get anyway???? Who approved of them? I can’t stand the word czars.
Reminds me of long bread lines – free grubby apartments – tons of vodka and endless snow days – as in Russia!
Never, ever, ever use the word czars in my country ever again!
Report Post »TMAGIC
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:03amI agree TWOTWINS, Czars sounds to much like Russian Speek……Commrade will be next.
Report Post »Plankchapel
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:53amThe Progressives are “nudging” us, so we will get used to loss of liberty. What do you think the TSA is for, when we have terrorists being smuggled across our borders? There are coyotes for human trafficking, but there is an “elite” class, if you will, for smuggling terrorists. And they think we’re too dumb to know that?!
Report Post »ANTIFA
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:45am“Czars” is mostly a media term, and has been in use for informal advisors for decades. I certainly wouldn’t call it “socialist speak,” seeing as how the Bolsheviks fought against the Tsar’s armies in the Russian Revolution.
That said, I think this bill is a bit silly. We’re banning presidential advisors? For what?
Report Post »NancyBee
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:44amThese people are devils…their ideas are sickening…it is an awful day in America that these people are advising the President of the United States of America..Kick em out..Kick em all out!
Report Post »Cuthalu
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:44amAs long as they make sure no czars are allowed to come back into being when we get a conservative president in office in the future. If we take away the czars away from progressives forever then they will never be able to use them against us again. But it will only really work if it is across the board, if not then they will point out us using them as an excuse to bring them back. Level the playing field and watch the progressives start loosing ground against conservative ideas, one after another.
No more loopholes to bypass the constitution. The next loophole to put on the chopping block is the various departments and their misuse of all those regulations. Take both the departments and the endless regulations away from anyone to use again, the progressives will loose even more ground.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:44amThe bill defines a czar as “a head of any task force, council, policy office within the Executive Office of the President, or similar office established by or at the direction of the President” who is appointed to a position that would otherwise require Senate confirmation
————
BFD.
Report Post »Obama will just call them
” Farmers for people’s garden @ WH ”
and hold on to them if the bill passes.
Plankchapel
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:42amHooray! If this passes, it will be one less thing I have to carp about! I have asked my senators and representative about this very thing, where Obama gets the authority to appoint these monsters, but I got no reply. Thank goodness members of the House are tired of this overreaching pudative president, too!
My congressional members’ phone numbers are stored in my telephone. Will start calling!
Report Post »JaniceK
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:30amAs the keeper of the money, why can’t the House simply refuse to fund the czars?
Report Post »AzDebi
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:42amNot sure…but I’d bet that the “czars’ compensation” isn’t just a “simple line item” in the budget…knowing those devious, diabolical, demons, their salaries are probably included in some obscure, undisclosed category like “miscellaneous”…I heard Ryan on Gretta’s program tonight and he was trying to explain the budget situation…it was so twisted that I can’t imagine how on earth anyone even knows which department handles what?! They have turned Washington into nothing but a den of liars and thieves!
Report Post »DaveyB
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:46amIt is highly probable that an outside source could and would pick up the saleries of the czars and they would remain where they now are and continue to be a thorn in the side of civilization (for lack of a better word).
Report Post »oldguy49
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:54ami think i heard that any department that has a certain budget {hjigh enough}like green jobs zar can be brought under control of congress and not pres.
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:16amBecause the czars aren’t funded as individuals, they are heads of agencies. The issue is that he simply appointed people to positions that normally require senate confirmation. That‘s why there’s been so much grumbling about his abuse of the power to make recess appointments. It’s a provision that provides for the ability in emergency cases without having to gather the senate. But he uses it as an everyday tool to completely avoid having to have the people he appoints be confirmed by the senate. He simply waits for the senate to recess and then makes any appointments he feels like.
You couldn’t just not fund a czar, you would have to not fund the agency the czar is heading up. That would be a good thing in most cases in my opinion, but it‘s not something that’s likely to happen.
Report Post »BlueStarMom
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 5:12amDaveyB, what you describe is called a coup. We’re not that far gone, I pray. It’s my understanding that the salaries for the “czars” (I agree that term should never be used again in our country) are funded from the budget of the Executive Branch or the Whitehouse, or something Obama has under his direct control. They are working in beauracracies that have their own budgets. So they can be defunded by cutting the funding for the office they each control. Please God don’t let them wimp out on this, especially after they “edited” the Constitution yesterday. Shameful. While they’re at it they should end the practice of recess appointment as well.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:05amCongress is not allowed (in theory) to appropriate money to specific individuals, rather they have to fund general groups/areas. So they can de-fund say, the Department of Redundancy Department, but they cannot directly allocate $10 to the head of that department (nor take money away from him). At least as I understand it.
Report Post »USA_Exceptionalism
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:25amJohn will be pretty much powerless if nobody addresses the czar problem and the executive appointment abuse.
Report Post »Krutch
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 11:27amDoes anyone know from where the czars get paid? Maybe from mbambas’ slush fund, (tarp,etc.)? Or maybe from the taxpayers monies the unions got?
Report Post »JN
Posted on January 8, 2011 at 2:09amPresidents have used the loophole of hiring these czars but not officially granting them policy-directing authority (otherwise it would be unconstitutional). These recent czars have proven to be numerous and resembling of the Futurama bureaucrats. They also completely undermine the Senate, who are supposed to approve these people. It’s dirty politics that everyone can see.
Report Post »richauthor
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:27amWhatever it takes to sweep those rats out of the people’s house.
Report Post »Cherished Emblems
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 12:51amThis is a start in the morally right direction!
Report Post »PeachyinGA
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:01amPlease be successful at getting them out. They are Obama’s socialist shadow government.
Report Post »Michael Winzeler
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:11am‘Ditto’
Report Post »heyjim55
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:15amLets hope they are successful, people like Cass Sustine, John Holdren, the jerk that is setting up death panels and the Marxist Obama made head of manufacturing have to go before they really do some damage.
Report Post »kryptonite
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:22am@DaveyB
Trying to get rid of the czars without doing anything about the man who appoints them is a noble but utterly futile cause. Take a look at the pic on this thread, and tell me I’m wrong.
I honestly think Obama should be impeached for hiring all those radicals. If anything, it would put him in the hot seat, and force him to lie through his teeth before the entire nation, like Clinton did. Why are Repubs so afraid of this man? Was Holder right when he called us a nation of cowards? Repubs are now majority, so they should seize the day and expose this traitor for the liar and radical he is. It’s now or never.
Report Post »BMartin1776
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:24amYea but we all know the rats will come back with the “Bush had just as many”excuse. Even if Bush. Clinton. etc did have czars BHO tainted it by appointing hardcore radicals. So to the libertards who will whine yea you are right other pres had them too, BUT if they all jumped off a bridge or robbed a bank should the next guy?
BHO as always puts his hands on something and destroys it even with these appointments. When you have Mao loving, self admitted marxists and communists in the WH appointed by a questionable Pres enough is enough. This is the medias fault. They didnt vet him and discover who he was tied to. MANY of us tried to warn people but we were told to shut up, be quiet, stop being a hater, racist and a bigot all for just questioning who this guy is.
56 men, our Founding Fathers, knew what had to be done and do what’s right, what about you? http://www.savingtherepublic.com
Report Post »StMichelob
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:08amKRYPTONITE We have control of the House, and the Senate is the body which holds impeachment hearings. Although we now control the pursestrings, we cannot remove the president on impeachment hearings unless there are a few democrats who will go along with the findings, which are damnable. But it won’t happen. Just pray with me that the House will have the balls, and the wisdom to do what is best for this country. The best possible political body was swayed to the side of right, and we’ll see if they do our bidding.
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:12amI guess since they don’t get Senate approval, then repealing them is the right thing to do.
Report Post »http://wp.me/pYLB7-uT
CatB
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 2:13amA good START!
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 3:13amWhatever it takes to sweep those rats out of the people’s pocket……….
Report Post »NoRoomForSocialismHere
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 4:33amTime to get the commies out. They never had a constitutional right to be there. It is time to make congress make everything reflect the Constition of the United States in hard words
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 4:57amDefund the EPA, FDA, TSA and Homeland Security and we are on the right track.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 5:31am@DUSTYLUV
Don’t forget the Dept of Education.
Report Post »OneNationIndivisable
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 5:35amThe czars have become a deeply entrenched cancer within our government. It’s not going to be easy to get rid of the them, Pres. Obama along with S. Alinsky will devise a way to call them by a different name to keep their socialist agenda on track.
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 6:16amI’m impressed overall, with how the GOP has come out charging. At the risk of ‘offending’ the libs, they’ve taken the illegal voting privileges away from Guam, etc., and are making some rule changes that are good.
Report Post »BTW, I heard the reason they skipped part of The Constitution, was two of the pages stuck together.
JKN
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 6:25amNever liked the title, “Czars”… Sounds too “Russian” to me…
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 6:37amUnemployed and back in the gutter with the other rats! Undoing the web of regulations that stymies small business will take awhile but will definitely boost a hiring environment and hopefully boost the economy more quickly. Anyone the administration hires in a influencial position like the czars should be vetted, the fact that they weren‘t just means Obama was letting a wolf in sheep’s clothing into the White House.
Report Post »clinker
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 6:52amCzars are an abomination to the process no matter who appoints them.
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 6:55amAgreed. I’m happy to see that they are not allowing any moss to grow under their feet before they get around to doing the job we sent them to do!
Report Post »BigSky
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 6:58amThey’re not going anywhere. They might get booted out of the White House but they’ll remain in power.
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 7:25amAmen!
Report Post »oldguy48
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 7:39amCan we try them for treason?
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:10amAnother thing the House needs to address if the “land grabbing” of mineral rights this administration has done. Someone needs to set forth a bill to reverse that and we need to start drilling, drilling, drilling. There also needs to be an oversight committee of FANNIE and FREDDIE, and not headed by Barney, to go through their books with a fine tooth comb. Barney needs to be in jail, along with his boyfriend, Chris Dodd and anyone else that covered up that debacle.
Report Post »ilovethiscountry
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:22amWe don’t need czars.
Report Post »mikem1969
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:45amWell, it actually looks like they are trying to do what they said they were going to do. We have to give them some time to do it, 2012 is a couple of years away and the dems still control the senate. They are getting the ball rolling in the right direction, so hold on tight and put more conservatives in office in 2012 and kick obama out.
Report Post »TheLeftMadeMeRight
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:05amNeed more than a broom, need a power washer and alot of bleach!
Report Post »USA_Exceptionalism
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:18amAgreed… and if the Republicans are going to get anything done, it all starts with dismantling the illegal czars that circumvent the Congressional balance of power.
Report Post »kryptonite
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:28pm@StMichelob
Report Post »Thanks, bud! Darn, I said that once before, and later realized I had blundered. It‘s not like I haven’t watched major Senate hearings, since the un-American gang put Ollie in the hot seat. That’s what I get for posting when my theta brain waves have kicked in. My bad. :(
C.ChristieJ.Bolton2012
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 1:56pmyes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes!!!!!!!!
Report Post »getalong
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 4:26pmYeah, news of this action made my day. NO MORE CZARS!!! AMERICA DOES NOT HAVE CZARS, we have a senate and a congress!
Report Post »ileencuccaro
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 6:10pmI am really Loving this. I hate the use of these wackos to control anything that we are paying for. If we wanted czars we would be in Russia in the last century. We saw what happened to them
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:37pmapparently this is a practice for many presidents.. however.. IT IS one that should be STOPPED for all..I can’t see where this would harm ANYTHING and may even IMPROVE it.. and long overdue..BTW Obama has overdone it with the czars more than any other presidents seems that is the only place he can achieve anything..
Report Post »jst1425
Posted on January 7, 2011 at 9:28pmIt may take this…
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm7oKO7_76M
Partygirl
Posted on January 8, 2011 at 4:23pmDitto!
Report Post »