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U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx (NC-05) today announced that she is cosponsoring legislation (H.R. 3226) to re-establish Congress’s constitutional role in the presidential appointment of government ‘czars’.  Since taking office, President Obama has appointed dozens of powerful administration officials, popularly known as ‘czars’, outside the Senate confirmation process established by the Constitution.

“In the past eight months the Obama administration has appointed more than 30 czars with power over every conceivable area of government and very few have gone through the constitutionally mandated Senate confirmation process,” Foxx said.  “Congress must reclaim its oversight role in the confirmation process of high-ranking administration officials.”

“As the recent dust-up over President Obama’s green jobs czar shows, transparency and accountability matter,” Foxx said.  “I believe that every President should be advised by the best and brightest our country has to offer.  But I am concerned that the proliferation of unaccountable czars threatens to undermine our system of checks and balances.”

H.R. 3226, the Czar Accountability and Reform Act cuts off funding for czar positions which have not been subject to Senate confirmation.  To date the Obama administration has appointed ‘czars’ with authority in areas from bank and auto bailouts to technology and energy policy. 

Note: Foxx penned an op-ed several weeks ago about the proliferation of so-called ‘czars’ in American government over the past several decades and what this development signals about the growth of government.