FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2010
Contact: Sarah Howe
202-775-9111
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNING THE PRE-ELECTION PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ACT
WASHINGTON –President Obama today signed the Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act, a significant step that will assist presidential candidates to begin essential preparations for governing long before any votes are cast.
The Partnership for Public Service believes Congress must now build on this important accomplishment by removing a series of post-election roadblocks that in the past have prevented new presidents from quickly getting their full teams in place, impeded new administrations from moving forward on their policy agendas, and that in the future could place our nation in serious jeopardy.
“We live in volatile times with countless national security threats, economic woes and an increased demand on our government," said Max Stier, Partnership president and CEO. "A new president must be ready to govern with his senior leadership team on the job on or shortly after Inauguration Day. The Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act is an important bill that will help the next administration hit the ground running. Congress now needs to take the next step of addressing the barriers that arise after an election.”
“Even in these highly polarized times, there must be a new bipartisan commitment for the good of the nation to permit a new president to staff his administration and to do so as quickly as possible,” Stier continued.
The measure signed by the president, based on recommendations in the January 2010 Partnership report entitled Ready to Govern: Improving the Presidential Transition, covers one half of the transition to power— the pre-election period. Under this new law, the General Services Administration will provide transition support, including fully equipped office space, communication services, briefings and other assistance, to the major party candidates to enable them to prepare to govern. It allows the candidates to raise money for transition planning and encourages an outgoing administration to take a series of important and specific steps to prepare for the smooth transfer of power.
Congress must now tackle another set of transition challenges, including finding a means for the Senate to vote on the nomination of the president's 50 top national and economic security officials on or immediately after the inauguration, having the top 500-plus Senate-confirmed political appointees in place by the summer congressional recess, and reducing the number of politically appointed positions that require Senate confirmation.
The Partnership also believes that work is needed to streamline the multiple political appointee background questionnaires and to ensure that the Office of Presidential Personnel has the resources and staff to properly screen potential administration nominees.
“The Senate confirmation process is too slow, there are too many political appointees requiring Senate confirmation, too few resources available for vetting candidates, too much red tape for the nominees to wade through, and too little sense of urgency when a sense of urgency is exactly what we need,” said Stier. “This is an extraordinary time in our nation’s history on virtually every front – and the American people and a new president need all hands on deck. Unfortunately, that is not what they are getting.”
Although President Obama got off to a fast start in 2009, nominees had been confirmed for only 37.5 percent of the top tier positions six months into the administration. At the one year mark, just 59.2 percent of the Senate confirmed jobs were filled. President George W. Bush had barely half of his political appointees in place at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and by the end of his first year, there were still some 200 open positions requiring Senate approval. President Bill Clinton faced the same dilemma.
Stier said the process as it exists today results in difficulty persuading talented individuals to serve, delays the nomination process, which leaves important jobs vacant, and places serious constraints on the ability of a new president to govern. “This should be unacceptable, and a matter for the next Congress to seriously consider,” said Stier.
The Partnership for Public Service works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org for more information.
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The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.
