More Power for the President

The “Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011” (S 679)  exempts certain presidential appointments to cabinet-level agencies, independent commissions, and boards in the executive branch from the requirement of Senate confirmation. The bill passed by 79 to 20. This bill will do away with the checks and balances that separate an American form of government.

The Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution provides that the President:

 … shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

For principal officers of the United States, such as the heads of executive departments, the President nominates an individual for the office, the Senate consents (or not), and after the Senate consents the President appoints the individual to the office. The same three-step process applies in appointing the inferior officers, unless Congress by law vests the appointment of an inferior officer in the President alone, in a court of law, or in the head of a department. This act will give the President alone the appointments to several hundred inferior offices in executive agencies that now require Senate consent. This is another step out of the forms of a republic government. Much as giving the control of our nations finances to private for profit bankers in the Federal Reserve.

These positions include but are not limited to:

Department of Agriculture

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR ADMINISTRATION

RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR

COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION

Commerce

CHIEF SCIENTIST; NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

Department of Defense

ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE

MEMBERS OF NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION BOARD

DIRECTOR OF SELECTIVE SERVICE

Department of Education

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT

COMMISSIONER, EDUCATION STATISTICS

Department of Homeland Security

DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE FOR DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION

DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF COUNTERNARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT

The TREASURER OF THE UNITED STATES as well as the ASSISTANT SECRETARIES FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MANAGEMENT will also no longer be subject to congressional approval.

There was an attempt to stop his with an amendment to end the appointments of presidential Czars who have not been subject to the advice and consent of the Senate and to prohibit funds for any salaries and expenses for appointed Czars. This was defeated 51 to 47.