[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 26, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: January 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
COMMERCE, DEFENSE, AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS AT BOTTOM OF CLINTON
APPOINTMENT PRIORITIES
(Mr. CLINGER asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute, and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. CLINGER. Mr. Speaker, according to a recently updated
Congressional Research Service [CRS] report, after nearly 1 full year
in office, President Clinton has failed to fill 53.3 percent of the top
positions at the Department of Commerce, 41.3 percent of the top
positions at the Pentagon, and 36.7 percent of the top positions at the
Department of Justice. These abundant vacancies, according to CRS, rank
the Commerce, Defense, and Justice Departments as the three executive
agencies with the highest level of unfilled positions in the Clinton
administration. By contrast, the Departments of Housing and Urban
Development [HUD], Health and Human Services [HHS], and the Department
of Labor [DOL] ranked as the three agencies with the fewest remaining
vacancies.
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that an
administration fills the positions it considers the most important
first. Actions speak louder than words. The Clinton administration's
actions of the past year clearly demonstrate that all the tough talk
and political rhetoric about being a new Democrat is, in fact, just
talk. The facts show that ensuring a healthy business climate,
maintaining a strong and ready military, and fighting crime with a fair
and effective justice system rank at the bottom of Mr. Clinton's
priorities. You simply cannot develop and implement policies in these
vitally important areas without the people in place to do it.
Talking in one thing that this President and administration are
particularly skilled in, making decisions and taking action is
something they are not. The massacre in Mogidishu, the halting
deployment turned retreat in Haiti, and the on-again, off-again bombing
threats in Bosnia reflect the indecision and inaction that has become
the trademark of this administration, particularly in matters
concerning national security.
As the ranking Republican member on the House Committee on Government
Operations, I urge the President and his White House staff to stop the
talk of campaigning and to start the walk of governing.
NUMBER AND PERCENT OF UNFILLED FULL-TIME CIVILIAN POSITIONS\1\ REQUIRING SENATE CONFORMATION, BY DEPARTMENT,
1993
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Positions Unfilled positions Unfilled positions Unfilled positions
----------- with nominees without nominees with and without
pending pending nominees pending
Number -----------------------------------------------------------------
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USDA............................... 17 1 5.9 4 23.5 4 29.4
DOC................................ 30 8 26.7 8 26.7 16 53.3
DOD................................ 46 6 13.0 13 28.3 19 41.3
Education.......................... 18 0 0.0 4 22.2 4 22.2
DOE................................ 20 1 5.0 3 15.0 4 20.0
HHS................................ 19 1 5.3 1 5.3 2 10.5
HUD................................ 15 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
DOI................................ 17 1 5.9 5 29.4 6 35.3
DOJ................................ 30 0 0.0 11 36.7 11 36.7
DOL................................ 18 2 11.1 0 0.0 2 11.1
DOS\2\............................. 40 1 2.5 5 12.5 6 15.0
DOT................................ 19 1 5.3 4 21.1 5 26.3
Treasury\3\........................ 22 2 9.1 5 22.7 7 31.8
DVA................................ 14 1 7.1 1 7.1 2 14.3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total........................ 325 25 7.7 64 19.7 89 27.4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As of Dec. 24, 1993.
\1\Does not include U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal positions in Justice Department, Chief of Mission and other
overseas positions in the Foreign Service, nor commissioned positions in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and Public Health Service.
\2\Including following positions in the United Nations Mission: U.S. UN Representative; U.S. Deputy
Representative to the UN; U.S. Deputy Representative to the UN Economic and Security Council; U.S. Deputy
Representative to the Security Council; U.S. Deputy Representative for UN Special Political Affairs; and U.S.
Representative to the OAS.
\3\Includes two nominations to the same position--earlier nomination was confirmed; when incumbent resigned,
another nomination, which is pending, was made. Not included are the following nine positions requiring Senate
confirmation, which Treasury Secretary announced will be converted to career status: four Superintendent and
four Assayer positions to the U.S. Mint (Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and West Point), and an Engraver
position to the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.
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