House passes amendment that would defund Obama’s czars

House passes amendment that would defund Obama’s czars

There’s no earthly way, I assume, that Senate Democrats (let alone Obama) will agree to this, so it’s destined to die in conference committee after the Senate passes its own spending bill. In that case, since we’re larding up the bill with measure that are D.O.A., can we bring back the idea to cut funds for Obama’s teleprompter? That’ll end up getting chopped too, but it’d be nice to blow him a little kiss while his online minions are busy meddling in Wisconsin’s budget debate.

The amendment, offered by Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), specifically targets Obama’s “climate czar” by blocking funding for the assistant to the president for energy and climate change, the position’s official title. The amendment would block funding for the ‘czars’ through the end of the fiscal year, when the spending bill would run out. The underlying bill also includes a provision to block funding for the position.

“I think this sends a strong signal to the president that we are tired of him running this shadow government, where they have got these czars that are literally circumventing the accountability and scrutiny that goes with Senate confirmation,” Scalise said after the vote…

The amendment would also prohibit funding for the director of the White House Office of Health Reform; the State Department’s special envoy for climate change; the special adviser for green jobs, enterprise and innovation at the Council on Environmental Quality; the senior adviser to the secretary of the treasury assigned to the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry and senior counselor for manufacturing policy; the White House director of urban affairs; the special envoy to oversee the closure of Guantanamo Bay; the special master for TARP executive compensation at the Department of the Treasury; and the associate general counsel and chief diversity officer at the Federal Communications Commission.

It’ll save millions, insists Scalise, and restore a little of that Hopenchange transparency that we hear so much about but rarely experience. What’s not to love? Like Boehner says, “I don’t want anyone to lose their job, whether they’re a federal employee or not. But come on, we’re broke.” Let the sacrifice begin at the top, my friends.

While we’re on the subject of spending cuts, here’s the most shameless politician in D.C. — who squandered a huge House majority by neglecting the economy for a year so that she could focus on ObamaCare — demanding to know from the GOP where all the jobs are. No, I’m not joking. Exit question: Forget about dropping the czar amendment in conference committee. Are we going to get a final budget bill at all? Hmmmmmm.