Senator questions use of administration "czars", page 1

Senator questions use of administration "czars"

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A liberal Democratic senator questioned the roles of Obama administration policy "czars" Tuesday, but the White House denied it is using these officials to evade congressional scrutiny.

Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., said Congress needs to know whether some of the czars make policy but have no obligation to submit to congressional questioning.

"The White House decided not to accept my invitation ... to explain its position on the constitutional issues we will address today," Feingold said, re

It's nothing new for the president to have special advisors but this president has appointed a lot of them, and no one seems to know how much power they have or even where they and their staff budgets come from. If the white house has nothing to hide, why not send someone to the hearing to explain? why all the secrecy? are they trying to hide the fact that these people should have undergone the confirmation process because they do "bind the country" to agreements? it's a slap in the face to citizens of this country that the white house won't even explain itself.

The roles of 18 officials were questioned.

Eight are in federal agencies whose employees testify regularly before Congress. This group includes Richard Holbrooke, the Afghanistan czar and Ron Bloom, the car czar.

Four more are in the National Security Council, individuals who have no independent authority and whose sole function is to advise the president.

Another four are in the president's and vice president's offices and function as senior White House advisers on health, energy and environment, urban affairs and domestic violence. They are Lynn Rosenthal, domestic violence; Carol Browner, energy and environment; Adolfo Carrion Jr., urban affairs and Nancy-Ann DeParle, health.

why should we have to get information about these things from unofficial sources? we have the right to know who is speaking on our behalf/making policy, and how our money is being spent. If all this new staff is being paid for by cuts comewhere, i want to know where they are, what programs have been de-funded in favor of these special advisors.

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