Feingold, McCain Reintroduce Effort To Cuto Government Bureacracy, Save Taxpayer Dollars
March 08, 2010
Legislation Would Reduce Political Appointees, Whose Numbers Have Increased by Nearly 28 Percent in 30 Years
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) are reintroducing an effort to cut down on wasteful spending and reduce government bureaucracy by cutting the number of Executive Branch political appointees. Feingold and McCain have previously introduced the legislation to cut thousands of unnecessary political positions, doing so in both the Clinton and Bush administrations. If enacted, the Congressional Budget Office previously estimated it could save $872 million over ten years.
“Over the last year, a common theme I have been hearing from Wisconsinites at my listening sessions is frustration with the growing government bureaucracy. Unnecessary bureaucratic positions not only waste taxpayer dollars, but also make government less effective and less responsive to the people it represents. In the face of record deficits, this bill offers a good way to save while improving the way government works,” said Senator Russ Feingold, who has introduced the comprehensive Control Spending Now Act to slash the deficit by about one half trillion dollars.
“In this time of economic crisis, we must do everything possible to eliminate waste and make the federal government smaller and more efficient,” said Senator John McCain. This bill is simple - it will save money and result in a more streamlined Executive Branch. I am pleased to once again be cosponsoring this common-sense, fiscally responsible bill and I commend my friend Senator Feingold for his leadership on this issue.”
“This is a perfect time for this legislation, it’s long overdue. The presidential appointees system has grown cumbersome and anything but transparent. We have too many leaders in too many layers and the result is that no one can be held accountable for what goes wrong or what goes right in government. By reducing the number of political appointees we actually increase the amount of accountability and presidential leadership. We have had this view of leadership over the years that more leaders meant better leadership but actually fewer political leaders would produce stronger leadership. By passing this bill Congress and the president would strengthen transparency and effectiveness in government and change the way Washington works,” said Paul Light, professor at New York University and author of "A Government Ill Executed.”
The Feingold-McCain legislation would cap the number of political appointments at 2,000. The number of political appointees has risen dramatically in recent years. Since 1980, the number of political appointees has shot up by nearly 28 percent. The legislation would leave it up to the Executive Branch to determine how to reduce the number of appointees and give it a year to do so. Positions outlined in the Constitution would not be affected by the bill.
Feingold’s bill is based on several studies by independent commissions, including one headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman and current economic advisory to President Obama, Paul Volcker.
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