Science and Technology for America's Progress Ensuring the Best Presidential Appointments in the New Administration (2008) / Chapter Skim
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Presidential Science and Technology Appointments
Presidential Science and Technology Appointments
Pages 13-32
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From page 13... ...
The security, prosperity, health, and environment of Americans depend on senior leadership to sustain our vibrant S&T and to nurture an environment that transforms new knowledge into opportunities for creating highquality jobs and for reaching shared goals. The nation increasingly looks to the scientific and engineering communities for solutions to some of its most intractable problems -- from chronic disease to missile defense; to transportation woes; to energy security; to ensuring clean air, clean water, and safe food.
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In each table, the following appointment categories are used: PAS = presidential appointment with Senate confirmation PA = presidential appointment (without Senate confirmation) NA = noncareer appointment Defined by the Office of Personnel Management as "appointment authority allocated on individual case basis by OPM; authority reverts to OPM when the noncareer appointee leaves the position.
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Director and Deputy Director, National Economic Council (PA) Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs (PA)
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics (PAS) DEPARTMENT OF STATE Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs (PAS)
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and that of the Commission on National Security/21st Century that lapses in appointments and long-standing vacancies can have deleterious -- even dangerous -- consequences.1 S&T Leadership in the White House White House leadership on science and technology can be strongly influenced by certain key decisions taken before, as well as in the first months after, the November election. The committee strongly supports the view that good science advisers should be active with all candidates during the election process to inform the public debate on a host of key issues in 2008.
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From page 18... ...
Having an advisor to the President in place is also important to have a voice in the deliberations of other key White House offices that inter sect with S&T concerns. Examples include the National Security C ouncil, National Economic Council, Domestic Policy Council, Council on Environmental Quality, and the Homeland Security Council.
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Because of the overlap in responsibilities of the APST and the Director of OSTP, we recommend that the new President select one individual to serve both roles and seek rapid Senate confirmation for the latter. The committee considered the possibility that different persons could hold the positions of APST and director of OSTP.
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to provide advice, including suggesting and recruiting other science and technology presidential appointees. After inauguration, the President should promptly both appoint this person as APST and nominate him or her as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
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In a 2002 survey of several hundred principal appointees by the Council for Excellence in Government, for example, 74 percent of these former presidential appointees said that they were very satisfied with their work in government, and an equal percentage said that they would willingly return to government service. They cited numerous reasons to work in federal leadership positions, including patriotism, the chance to be a part of history, and the opportunity to help a President in whom one believes.4 The same survey, however, also highlighted some of the personal and financial challenges that may emerge through a com 4Brookings Presidential Appointee Initiative.
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ultimately become public knowledge. On average, it now takes more than 8 months to fill key S&T positions that require Senate confirmation -- an extended period of uncertainty for nominees (see Figure 2)
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FIGURE 1 Overview of the presidential appointments process. figure 1 SOURCE: The Nonpartisan Presidential Appointee Initiative.
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NOTE: This analysis, originally conducted by Calvin McKenzie, has been updated with estimated data for the George W Bush administration from Paul Light, former Director of the Presidential Appointee Initiative.
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Streamlining proposals include such mechanisms as relying on one system of background checks rather than separate systems for the White House and the Senate, clarifying the criteria for the position in question and the principles for questioning nominees, requesting only relevant and important background information, and keeping the process timely and on track with the goal of completing the appointment process in a target period (e.g., within 4 months) from first White House contact to Senate confirmation.
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• Allow nominations to be reported out of the relevant Senate committees (without a hearing) when a majority of commit tee members of each party concur 6; and 6The Presidential Appointee Initiative Advisory Board.
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2001. To Form A Government: A Bipartisan Plan to Improve the Presidential Appointments Process.
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reports, the Brookings Institution Presidential Appointee Initiative, and other analyses have recommended that the appointment process be streamlined by simplifying finan cial disclosure reporting requirements, requiring OGE to review 28
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Some efforts have been made to streamline and harmonize the administrative requirements since 2001,8 following on the Presidential Transition Act of 2000.9 There was also an attempt to pass a Presidential Appointments Improvement Act in 200110 and 2003.11 The White House could play a key role in bringing together the executive and legislative branches to consider these broadly accepted reforms on an urgent basis. Some mechanisms for consolidating and simplifying the process are: (1)
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To improve the search for qualified S&T appointees and to build a strong pool of candidates with policy experience now and in the future, professional science, engineering, and health societies should suggest emerging leaders in their fields to serve in govern ment positions, including federal advisory committees, and should 12National Science Foundation.
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From page 31... ...
Greater attention should be paid to the pool of highly qualified individuals from industry, with the emergence of chief technology officers in recent years as an identifiable professional leadership level.
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