More Czars to Come?

The Obama solution to creating more czars more easily:

S. 679: Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011, A bill to reduce the number of executive positions subject to Senate confirmation. 

The Founders intended that the President would make appointments with the advice and consent of the Senate (Article II, Section 2). Because of the large number of appointments made in modern America, the solution to dealing with this situation was to give the Senate authority to approve the appointment of cabinet heads. The 'smaller agencies' were left largely to the president to appoint personally. As the bureaucracy has grown, more and more of those agencies grew up like hydra's teeth sewn in the soil and the decisions they make directly impact the lives of Americans. Still, some of them required the pesky Senate to approve them. Open debate has a way of embarrassing the Obama Regime. Think of situations like that of Obama crony, Black Panther and communist, Van Jones. If you wanted to place Van in charge of the EPA or the FCC for example, the Senate would have to review his qualifications. It could be embarrassing. Enter S. 679.

"We've all been busy watching Obama golf, travel, and occasionally taking a break by pretending to care about America going into bankruptcy. But take note, the liberal/left in him never rests. It's odd how socialists never seem to have enough czars, and our Bureaucrat-in-Chief is no exception. He objects to having his czars who control major portions of the American civil and financial vetted by the Senate."

"Behold: The Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act (PAESA). It ought to be called the "Let's Shortcut the Constitution Act." Progressives have been trying since early in the Twentieth Century to replace constitutional restraints on executive power with bureaucratic "efficiency." (LINK)

Let's face it, getting things done the old Constitutionally mandated way takes time and the Senate, thrilled to find a way to clear their calendars, seems to be onboard with the new Obama initiative. The Democrats have Republicans in tow on this one including (but not limited to): Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Scott Brown (R-MA), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

How many and which agencies would be involved is still a closely-guarded secret. The United States Senate is supposed to be a watchdog. Over the years it has become far less so and if the Obama Regime has its way, the Senators (who are REALLY busy) will have one less thing to worry about. They are supposed to pay attention to and rule on presidential appointments. They are there to lens and cleanse and we pay them to do that. What are they going to defer to the executive branch of government next? Maybe they'll allow the US President to ratify all treaties between the US and foreign powers.

Having the US Senate give this vital function up is akin to the House of Representatives allow the president to handle the ways and means of the United States without Congress being involved. Think how much it would free up valuable Congressional time if they didn't have to worry about pesky budget matters.

"A good example of what Obama intends is his recent attempt to squelch free speech with a "fairness" plan that would "increase localism and diversity" while "spreading opportunity among a larger pool of viewpoints and beliefs." In other words, kill talk radio and with a little luck, kill Fox News along with it. The Chairman of the FCC is not a Cabinet Member, so why should the Senate have any say whatsoever in who sits on the Commission? Well, any agency that large, affecting that many people, with that much freedom of speech at stake, should require major vetting at least. This act would remove the Senate entirely from the process.

 "These agencies don't merely carry out orders, they create policy and implement it as determined by their particular czars. The EPA was intended to carry out the will of Congress and the people to clean up our air and water and protect the environment. But the agency grew and grew, and created policies that affect billions of dollars of the taxpayers' money while squelching American productivity. Does anybody doubt that the head of the EPA has more real power than, say, the Secretary of Commerce?" (op cit)

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.