The House of Representatives voted Thursday to eliminate funding for nine “Czars” in the Obama Administration. The affected posts include health care, energy and climate, green jobs, urban affairs, the closure of the Guantanamo Bay, oversight of TARP executive compensation, diversity at the Federal Communications Commission and the auto industry manufacturing policy.
“Czar” is a term pertaining to a variety of positions reporting directly to an administration. The designation can include Undersecretary positions in Cabinet departments, oversight of emergency responses, advisers typical of many administrations and offices created in order to apply ideological intent to Federal administration.
In my view, the issue is not that the Obama administration has more “czars” than, say, the Bush administration. It is their individual resumes, stated beliefs and the ideological intent of their actions that give pause. To apply the full weight of influence of the Executive Branch to the fuzzy science of global warming (Climate Czar) brings to question the value of a Science Czar. After delivering General Motors to the United Auto Workers union immediately after taking office, one may doubt the objective purpose of an Auto Recovery Czar and a Car Czar.
And, why we do we bother with a Border Czar, a Mideast Peace Czar, an Oil Spill Czar, a Stimulus Accountability Czar, and an Ethics Czar? In addition, after the sleazy dealings and broadly-demonstrated incompetence of this Administration, who really finds comfort in the “boot on your throat” shadow of Cyber, FCC Diversity, Information, Intelligence, Regulatory, Intellectual Property and Economic Czars?
I’d like Congress to defund and investigate the Obama Administration at every opportunity, and I applaud the House for this start. My only question is: What’s next, then next, and so on?
