[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 102 (Thursday, July 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S7740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 EXECUTIVE BRANCH POLITICAL APPOINTEES

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, as many in this body know, I have 
been concerned that while the total number of Federal employees has 
been reduced in recent years, the same cannot be said of executive 
branch political appointees.
  Indeed, between 1980 and 1992 the number of political appointees grew 
17 percent, three times as fast as the total number of executive branch 
employees.
  Mr. President, let me emphasize that political appointees play a 
vital role in implementing those very policies for which an 
administration is elected in the first place. Political appointees 
often also bring backgrounds rich in experience as well as a fresh 
perspective that can strengthen our Government.
  But as many distinguished observers have noted, too many political 
appointees may actually interfere with the efficient and effective 
implementation of administration policies. Author Paul Light has 
documented this problem in his book ``Thickening Government: Federal 
Government and the Diffusion of Accountability.''
  Various public commissions and Government watchdog groups have also 
voiced concerns from the 1989 National Commission on Public Service, 
chaired by Paul Volcker, to the Congressional Budget Office, and most 
recently the Twentieth Century Fund Task Force on the Presidential 
Appointment Process, chaired by two former Members of this body, former 
Senators John Culver and Charles Mathias.
  Mr. President, I have introduced legislation to cap the number of 
political appointees at 2,000, a level which represents a reduction of 
about 30 percent from current levels. That proposal is identical to the 
recommendation of both the Volcker Commission and the Twentieth Century 
Fund Task Force, and also mirrors a proposal by the Congressional 
Budget Office which is included in their publication of spending and 
revenue options to reduce the deficit. My bill would save taxpayers 
over $330 million during the next 5 years. Just as important, bringing 
the number of political appointees to a more manageable level will 
enhance flexibility and increase the ability of the President to 
implement administration policies.
  Mr. President, this administration has a commendable record in 
bringing the overall growth of the Federal employees under control, 
and, in fact, beginning to reduce the number by several hundred 
thousand.
  And recently, I was encouraged to see that work also began with 
respect to political appointees in the Commerce Department, an agency 
where the growing number of appointees has been a particular concern.
  Mr. President, while I believe we have a long way to go in this area, 
there has been some progress made by the administration and I will not 
offer my legislation as an amendment to this particular bill as I have 
in the past.
  I firmly believe further work is needed in this area, however, and I 
will be following the progress made by the administration in reducing 
the number of political appointees with great interest.

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