[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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