Senate Bill S.679: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Senator Chuck Schumer (Dem-NY) has introduced Senate Bill S.679. It has an appealing title:
"Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011." Now, we are all for efficiency in and streamlining government, right? Not so fast.
 
Article II, Section 2.2 of the U.S. Constitution states the President has the power "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate" to appoint "Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States." This section also allows the Congress to allow certain "inferior Officers" to be appointed without the Senate's "Advice and Consent," which they have done.
 
However, S.679 is the most sweeping granting of absolute appointment power to the President in history. Examples are many Assistant Secretaries of the various departments, the Director of the Mint, DIRECTOR OF THE WOMEN’S BUREAU, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE FOR DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS, CHIEF SCIENTIST of the NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, etc. It affects every federal department as well as many government commissions and corporations (e.g., COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, National Council on Disability, etc.). I counted at least 83 separate appointees who would no longer require the Senate's approval. Not included in this total are an unknown number of members of boards, commissions, and officer corps for Public Health and N.O.A.A. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
 
Why would senators want to relieve themselves of their "advice and consent" responsibilities and turn these powers over to the exclusive use of the President? Are they too lazy to do their jobs? Or, is their intent more nefarious? Is this consolidation of power in the Executive Branch be an attempt to ramrod radical leftists into positions of power who would not be able to pass the smell test of the background investigation that is part of the "advice and consent" process?
 
The answer can be found in Section 3 of S.679: WORKING GROUP ON STREAMLINING PAPERWORK FOR EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS. This group would consist of designated government bureaucrats to produce a report in 90 days for the President and Senate to find ways to simplify and speed up the required background checks for Presidential appointees. Among its provisions, it calls for this group to "assess the feasibility of using personnel other than Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel" to conduct these background checks. The group is also required to consider allowing varying standards for the extent of these investigations "depending on the nature of the position for which the individual is being considered."
 
This is the real crux and danger of S.679. President Obama has been frustrated by the Senate's rejection of a number of his appointees because they could not pass F.B.I. background checks, which is a requirement for White House and government officer positions. Senate Republicans have forced the withdrawal of or blocked the appointments of several radical leftists to crucial positions. The President, in many cases, has circumvented the "advice and consent" of the Senate by appointing more so-called "czars" than any other previous President.
 
Schumer and his Democratic colleagues who are sponsoring this Senate bill are deliberately consolidating power to the President to circumvent the historical separation of powers our founding fathers so wisely wrote into the Constitution. S.679 is a very dangerous piece of legislation that will undermine the balance of power that has been the foundation of our Republic.
 
This bill reminds me of what happened in ancient Rome. Caesar undermined and diminished the role of the Roman Senate until they became powerless and corrupt puppets. As a result, the Roman Republic evolved into an Empire headed by dictators with absolute power. The Democrats might like this to happen to our country. Is this what you want? If not, write your Senators today to oppose with vigor S.679.