Resolution to Reform the Obama Administration's Policy of Appointing Czars

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Resolution to Reform the Obama Administration’s Policy of Appointing Czars

Text of the Resolution as Adopted (PDF):

• Resolution to Reform the Obama Administration's Policy of Appointing Czars - Adopted by the RNC on July 31, 2009

WHEREAS, in an unprecedented major consolidation of White House power and usurpation of Congressional authority Barack Obama has appointed at least sixteen “Czars” and additional appointments appear to be forthcoming;

WHEREAS, none of these co called “Czars” were appointed with congressional approval yet each manage important areas of national policy, impacting millions of American citizens and controlling a significant portion of the budget of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, despite the President’s campaign pledge of governmental transparency, the appointment of the “Czars” shows the Obama administration is circumventing congressional oversight and accountability because each of these officials is accountable only to the President; and

WHEREAS the U.S. Constitution explicitly states governmental officers with significant authority (called “principal officers”) must be nominated by the President and are subject to a vote of the U.S. Senate; and

WHEREAS, these principal officers include not only cabinet level secretaries but include assistant secretaries and deputy undersecretaries; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Constitution instructs that only the U.S. Congress can approve such appointments as well as create other inferior officers; and

WHEREAS, the principal officers and inferior officers are subject to subpoena with the U.S. Congress holding the purse strings of annual appropriations; and

WHEREAS, by contrast, White House officials are an agent of the President, and the Executive Office of the President being completely removed from the U.S. Congress and immune from subpoena; and

WHEREAS, these “Czars” advise the President and conduct national policy despite the separation of powers which forbids congressional interference in that relationship; and

WHEREAS, the Founding Fathers framed the powers vested in the President to specifically block that type of centralized authority that Barack Obama is currently exerting; and

WHEREAS, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, a senior member of the Democratic Party and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, has sent an official protest to Barack Obama that his effort to appoint “Czars” is an attempt to subvert the authority of the U.S. Congress and a violation of the U.S. Constitution; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee recognize that the current concentration of powers in the Executive Branch is a violation of the powers of the President of the United States as defined in the U.S. Constitution and is dangerous to the citizens of America; and be furthe

RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee calls upon the Democratic leadership of the U.S. Congress to halt funding the operations of the federal government vested in these “Czars” until Barack Obama returns the lawful authority to his cabinet secretaries and lesser officers of the national government; and be further

RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee calls upon the U.S. Congress to hold Barack Obama accountable for violations to the U.S. Constitution; and be further

RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee calls upon the U.S. Congress to initiate hearings regarding Barack Obama’s appointment of “Czars.”.

RESOLVED, finally the upon approval of this Resolution The Republican National Committee will deliver this document to each of our elected officials serving in the U.S. Congress as well as each of our state and territorial party offices.

Chief Sponsor:

• Bruce Ash, National Committeeman for Arizona

Co-Sponsors:

• Cathie Adams, National Committeewoman for Texas
• James Bopp, Jr., National Committeeman for Indiana
• Donna Cain, National Committeewoman for Oregon
• Demetra DeMonte, National Committeewoman for Illinois
• Curly Haugland, National Committeeman for North Dakota
• Betti Hill, National Committeewoman for Montana
• Jeff Kent, National Committeeman for Washington
• Peggy Lambert, National Committeewoman for Tennessee
• Kim Lehman, National Committeewoman for Iowa
• Particia Longo, National Committeewoman for Connecticut
• Carolyn McLarty, National Committeewoman for Oklahoma
• Lilly Nunex, National Committeewoman for Colorado
• Randall Pullen, National Committeeman for Arizona
• J. Peter Ricketts, National Committeeman for Nebraska
• Steve Scheffler, National Committeeman for Iowa
• Helen Van Etten, National Committeewoman for Kansas
• Solomon Yue, National Committeeman for Oregon

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