Bush Gives Cronies Holiday Treats with Recess Appointments

January 9, 2006

By Campbell Roth, Publications Coordinator

George W. Bush used the holiday recess to fill 17 key government posts, misusing his "emergency" appointment powers to bypass congressional hearings—and bypass lawmakers' constitutional role in confirming presidential nominations.

Several of the appointees had run into opposition from members of Congress for nepotism or cronyism, or during previous nomination or political campaigns, including Ellen Sauerbrey, a staunch abortion rights opponent who had used her previous political appointment with the U.N. to advance that agenda. Sauerbrey was appointed assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, which could put allow her to do even more damage to women's rights.

National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy called Bush's actions "more of the same from an executive branch that bends the rules to the breaking point."

"The country should be outraged at Bush's disregard of the democratic processes, and the separation of powers, that this country was founded upon," Gandy said. "By circumventing the rules of government and appointing loyalists for political gain, George Bush puts his friends first—and voters last."

One recess appointee to the Federal Election Commission, Republican Hans von Spakovsky, has criticized voting rights laws. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) told the Washington Post that in nominating von Spakovsky, "the White House missed an opportunity to fill this important position with a person clearly committed to these fundamental rights."

Another nominee, Tracy Henke, in her former post at the Justice Department, tried to prevent information about disparities in police treatment of blacks and whites from appearing in a study report, according to the Washington Post. Henke was appointed executive director of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness. This is a particularly troubling appointment because of the racial dimension to the government's lack of preparedness to deal with Hurricane Katrina.

Bush's appointment to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Michael Brown, was widely criticized following Hurricane Katrina for his poor qualifications and mismanagement of the agency.

"Hurricane Katrina is a perfect example of what can happen when George Bush appoints his friends to official government posts," Gandy said. "How many more disasters must the country endure before this administration starts valuing merit over cronyism?"