Sam Johnson

Washington, Sep 25 -

By U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson

In its day, czarist Russia had just 18 czars in 300 years.  Since being sworn in, the President has appointed 34 czars -- a health czar, a car czar, an urban czar and a Great Lakes czar, to name a few.  Who are these people and why are they necessary?  Why do we need an Energy Czar and a Secretary of Energy?  Why have a health czar and a Secretary of Health?

Equally important – what are their qualifications? Why was a 31-year old with no background in the auto industry appointed as the Auto Recovery Czar?  What qualifies a college professor to set executive salaries? 

Why do they make so much money and who controls their purse strings?   Typically czars make $172,000 yearly and that does not include expensive, unchecked staff and budgets - with zero accountability.  Who is watching this?  In these times of tight budgets, we need to know what these new offices are going to cost taxpayers!

We don’t know the answers to these questions because unlike cabinet secretaries, judges, and hundreds of other presidential appointments, these czars have bypassed Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution which mandates the advice and consent of the Senate when the President appoints top officers. 

These czars wield extraordinary unchecked power and influence and the American people have a right to know who they are, their qualifications, their potential conflicts of interest, and what their job descriptions will be. 

Since these czars are the President’s point people – many only reporting directly to him – on important issues, coming before the Senate for confirmation hearings is essential.  They could answer the above questions and possibly avoid the embarrassment caused by the Car Czar who had to resign because of a pension fund scandal...or by Van Jones, the former Green Jobs Czar, who recently resigned under fire in part due to his questionable background and controversial opinions about September 11th, among other things.

Was anyone watching when the Stimulus Accountability Czar spent $18 million setting up a web page?  He certainly never asked Congress for the money.  Why on earth are the taxpayers paying $18 million for a new web page in the first place?  That’s absurd! 

Each year every cabinet secretary must sit before several House and Senate Committees to ask for and justify his or her budget, but not these czars; 27 of 34 czars have not even been confirmed by the Senate.

That’s why I co-sponsored H.R. 3226, the Czar Accountability and Reform Act, which would withhold funding from any czar not confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  I also support H.Con.Res.185, a congressional resolution that would request the President to certify the qualifications and responsibilities of czars.  In addition, I backed the Sunset All Czars Act which ends all unconfirmed czar positions by the end of the year, requires Senate confirmation of any bureaucrat with czar-like powers, and restricts money to fund these positions.

The President has the right to pick his (or her) own team and push his own agenda, but I also believe in the balance of power advocated by our Fore Fathers.  The legislative branch must exercise its constitutional authority to vet these czars and review their budgets. 

Americans want, need, and deserve transparency and accountability.  It’s time to rein in the czars. 

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Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.