WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week U.S. Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC) joined Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) as a cosponsor of H.R. 3226: The Czar Accountability and Reform (CZAR) Act of 2009. This legislation would bring transparency to presidential appointments by withholding funding for any salaries or expenses of any task force, council, or similar office established by the President and headed by an individual who has been appointed without the advice and consent of the Senate.

“While it’s true that previous administrations had czars – Ronald Reagan had one, George Bush had one, Bill Clinton had three, and George W. Bush had four – the number of czars appointed so quickly by President Obama is alarming,” Congressman Jones said. “With taxpayer-funded salaries of up to $172,000, and additional staff, office and travel budgets, it’s important that these appointments do not duplicate existing Senate-confirmed positions. As high-level decision makers who dictate national policies that will affect all of America’s citizens, these czars must be held accountable to the same confirmation guidelines as all other presidential appointments.”

Since taking office in January, President Obama has appointed as many as 34 different “czars” to oversee and implement various aspects of his agenda – from reforming the automobile industry to addressing global warming. Yet, only a handful of these czars have been confirmed by the United States as required by the Constitution (Article II, Section 2). When introducing the legislation, Rep. Kingston noted that czarist Russia had just 18 czars in 300 years. President Obama nearly doubled that number in seven months.