Lost in Transition

Justice Souter Replacement List Grows

Fri, 08 May 2009 18:13:47 GMT

Updated at 5:53 p.m. on May 11.

Rumors are swirling about possible replacements for Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court. While National Journal briefly profiled some of the most prominent names already, here is a rundown of even more that are surfacing in coverage of the search. NationalJournal.com will update this list in alphabetical order as it grows.

Anita Alvarez, Cook County State's Attorney
• Age: 52
• Education: Loyola University in Chicago, 1982; Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1986.
• Ethnicity: Hispanic
• Her Cook County biography can be found here.

Ruben Castillo, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Age: 54
• Education: Loyola University, Chicago, Ill., 1976; Northwestern University School of Law, 1979.
• Ethnicity: Hispanic
• His court biography can be found here.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State
• Age: 61
• Education: Wellesley College, 1969; Yale Law School, 1973.
• Ethnicity: white
• Her State Department biography can be found here and her National Journal profile here.

Merrick Garland, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
• Age: 56
• Education: Harvard College, 1974; Harvard Law School, 1977.
• Ethnicity: white
• His court biography can be found here and his National Journal profile here.

Jennifer Granholm, Michigan governor
• Age: 50
• Education: University of California at Berkeley, 1984; Harvard Law School, 1987.
• Ethnicity: white
• Her official governor's biography can be found here and her Almanac of American Politics profile can be found here (subscription).

Complete list after the jump.

Groves Vows Not To Politicize Census

Fri, 08 May 2009 14:15:00 GMT

President Obama's pick to lead the 2010 census has pledged to lawmakers that he will maintain his independence at the helm of the decennial count.

Robert Groves, who this week submitted written answers to a questionnaire prepared by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, wrote that he would "actively resist any attempt at interference" by outsiders. Groves said he would resign if he encounters overwhelming political pressure that would compromise the process.

Republicans are wary (subscription) that census officials might attempt to use statistical sampling to correct for an undercount of minorities, an adjustment that would result in a boost in funding and congressional representation for Democratic areas.

Groves, whose confirmation hearing is set for Tuesday, reiterated the statement of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke that there are "no plans" to use sampling to adjust census data. "On matters of the scientific bases and statistical properties of the census ... the White House can have no role," Groves added.

CTO To Make Transparency Recommendations

Thu, 07 May 2009 15:40:00 GMT

The newly appointed federal chief technology officer has not yet been confirmed by the Senate, but Aneesh Chopra plans to issue recommendations on an open government directive by May 21, a White House official said.

The administration, via a blog and possibly through other new media conduits, plans to invite the public to comment on the memo as early as next week.

A presidential memo issued on Jan. 21, the day after Barack Obama's inauguration, set a deadline of May 21 for suggestions from the CTO on how to create a more transparent, collaborative and participatory government. The Obama administration then plans to issue a directive to all agencies based on the recommendations, according to the memo.

Chopra will honor the president's request with some form of a proposal, but it will not be the final product many open government activists were expecting, said the White House official, who asked not to be identified because the person is not authorized to talk publicly about the issue.

One hang-up has been Chopra's murky official status. On April 18 he was named an assistant to President Obama and appointed associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and his Senate confirmation is still pending. The administration also has yet to seek public comment on the memo, an omission that some transparency advocates argue weakens the open government initiative.

"People are going to be pretty upset if it's coming out in dribs and drabs, understanding that they're understaffed, but that's also an indication of the commitment of the White House," said Patrice McDermott, director of Openthegovernment.org, a coalition of journalists, advocacy groups and unions focused on strengthening public trust in government.

The White House has not announced a deadline for the directive.

FDA Nominee Promises Review Of Flu Response

Thu, 07 May 2009 14:15:00 GMT

One of the first things Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg says she will do if confirmed as FDA commissioner is review the agency's recent work on the H1N1 flu situation, according to testimony she is delivering today at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

FDA has worked throughout the crisis to begin developing a vaccine for the virus and accelerate approval of diagnostic tests to detect H1N1. Hamburg led development of a flu pandemic preparedness plan when she served as the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at HHS during the Clinton administration. Now vice president for biological programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Hamburg said she plans to determine whether FDA could be doing more.

Her next priorities, Hamburg planned to tell senators, will be to improve food safety, increase monitoring of medical products, foster innovation and boost FDA's credibility to eliminate the perception that it is too close to industries it regulates.

"As FDA commissioner I would strive to lead an agency that appropriately balances innovation with regulation," Hamburg pledges in her prepared testimony.

Marantis Confirmed As USTR Deputy

Thu, 07 May 2009 13:45:00 GMT

President Obama's trade team is coming into focus with the Senate's confirmation Wednesday of Demetrios Marantis as deputy U.S. Trade Representative. Marantis was Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus' top trade staffer.

Obama also said Wednesday he will work to open foreign markets to U.S. products and make it easier for other countries to sell their goods here, and that he is "developing a plan of action for pending trade agreements" with Panama, Colombia and South Korea.

Obama discussed the benefits of global trade in his proclamation that the third week of May will be World Trade Week, a tradition dating back to the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt. Positive words might be expected in such a proclamation, but Obama himself up until this point had largely delegated the subject to Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

Kirk has said the administration would like to move "relatively quickly" on the Panama pact, which has angered some labor unions and critics on Capitol Hill. The Colombia and South Korea deals are still seen as longer-term projects with no timeline for action.

Vitter Maintains Hold On FEMA Nominee

Wed, 06 May 2009 13:26:00 GMT

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., will keep a hold on President Obama's pick to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency until he receives a satisfactory answer on updating flood maps in his state, his office said Tuesday.

Vitter is seeking a resolution to an issue that has prevented Louisiana parishes ravished by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 from rebuilding. He met Monday with W. Craig Fugate, who has been nominated to head FEMA, but did not get enough information to lift his hold.

According to Vitter's office, local rebuilding efforts have been stalled because FEMA is relying on outdated maps. Vitter has been waiting for more than two months for FEMA to explain its plan for updating the maps.

Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu also has concerns, but said she has been assured the problem is being resolved. "While I share Sen. Vitter's concerns, it is counterproductive to hold this exceptionally qualified and experienced nominee to head FEMA, particularly when hurricane season starts next month," she said in a statement.

Tenenbaum Picked For CPSC

Tue, 05 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

President Obama has announced he will nominate former South Carolina Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum to be chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Robert Adler as a new commissioner on the panel. If confirmed, Tenenbaum would replace Acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord.

NJ's Ed Pound Moves To Recovery Oversight Board

Tue, 05 May 2009 16:00:58 GMT

National Journal reporter Ed Pound, who joined the magazine in 2007, is taking his investigative skills to the federal government to help keep an eye on how tax dollars are spent. Pound will be communications director for the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, which was created as part of the economic stimulus bill to coordinate and conduct oversight of funds distributed under the law in order to prevent waste, fraud and abuse.

In his new position, he will work closely with board Chairman Earl Devaney to develop short- and long-term communication strategies and manage the Recovery.gov Web site. Before joining National Journal, Pound worked at U.S. News & World Report, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among other publications.

New DoD Procurement Chief Lays Out Priorities

Fri, 01 May 2009 15:45:00 GMT

With just four days under his belt, the Pentagon's new head of acquisition is sifting through the massive job ahead of him and establishing a to-do list that includes reviews of major procurements.

Ashton Carter, who was sworn in as the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics on Monday, said Thursday that much of what would have been his first order of duty was accomplished during the lead-up to Defense Secretary Robert Gates' release of the department's budget request in early April. Gates recommended major changes in the Pentagon's procurement priorities, including cuts to a number of programs.

Nonetheless, Carter said examining troubled programs and acting on Gates' plan is his first priority. The new acquisition chief plans to review all the department's projects gradually to ensure they are being properly executed.

His second focus will be on logistics, an area he said sometimes is overlooked. With two ongoing wars and a major shift in combat operations, Carter said, attention to logistics will be crucial.

"What's ringing in my ears is the secretary of Defense's often-expressed frustration that the troops are at war but the building as a whole is not," Carter said. "I don't want him to feel that way about his acquisition operation and logistics operation."

Among the greatest challenges will be refocusing resources from Iraq to Afghanistan in President Obama's timeframe.

"We have quite a lot of stuff to move out of Iraq and into Afghanistan ... that's a non-trivial matter both to conceive and to execute, and we can't afford not to meet those timetables," Carter said.

Acquisition reform will be another priority, he noted. Carter already is looking into the appropriate role of contractors "from Blackwater security in theater to pink badges at the Pentagon" and said he wants to improve the government's ability to acquire products quickly.

Presidential and congressional interest in reforms will be an asset, he said.

"If it is going to be different than other efforts at acquisition reform, it's going to be because of that constellation of people who are interested in taking some risk to do things differently if they can see the payoff," Carter said.

GOP Senators Stall Two Interior Deputies

Fri, 01 May 2009 14:50:00 GMT

The Senate Thursday overwhelmingly confirmed Tom Strickland's nomination as assistant Interior secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, but Republican holds might delay the appointment of two of his fellow deputies at the department.

The Senate, 89-2, approved Strickland, who will continue to be Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's chief of staff. He is only the second of President Obama's nominees for Interior to be confirmed.

Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, Thursday announced he will try to hold up the nomination of Hilary Tompkins to be solicitor at Interior because he wants Salazar to clarify the administration's position on an agreement reached in 2003 between Utah and Interior, where the department agreed to stop designating land as wilderness study areas. Tompkins as solicitor would have to defend that agreement, which resulted from a lawsuit Utah filed against the federal government in 1996.

"I need to better understand the legal opinions and director of who will be the department's chief legal officer, and the answers provided just don't cut it," Bennett said. He sent a letter to Salazar Thursday seeking clarification.

Bennett also has a hold on David Hayes to be Interior deputy secretary because he wants more answers regarding why the administration canceled oil and gas leases in Utah.

Choice For EPA Air Office Blocked By Barrasso

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:50:00 GMT

President Obama's pick to head the EPA's air pollution division is being blocked from confirmation by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., over concerns about the agency's plans for regulating carbon dioxide.

Barrasso's office confirmed Wednesday that he has placed a hold on the nomination of Gina McCarthy to become director of the EPA Office of Air and Radiation.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved McCarthy's nomination last week by voice vote, with only Barrasso opposed.

McCarthy is the head of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

Sebelius Confirmation Fills Out Cabinet

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:55:00 GMT

Kathleen Sebelius became the final member of President Obama's Cabinet to win Senate confirmation Tuesday, as the chamber voted 65-31 to approve her appointment as HHS secretary. Under an agreement with Republicans, the confirmation required 60 votes to be approved.

Sebelius, 60, immediately announced her resignation as Kansas governor, allowing Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson, a former state Republican chairman turned Democrat, to ascend to the state's top elected office.

President Obama administered the oath of office to Sebelius just after 8 p.m. Obama tapped Sebelius for the HHS post in early March, after his first choice, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., withdrew from consideration following revelations he owed about $140,000 in back taxes and interest.

Sebelius also faced tax questions, but survived after paying about $8,000 in back taxes and interest because of what she called unintentional errors. Sebelius still faced opposition from Republicans, though, including senators concerned about her lack of experience in health care policy and for support she received from a Kansas physician who provides abortions.

Coburn: Sebelius Vote Heralds 'Oblivion'

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:49:00 GMT

By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF

Say this about Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.: On just about any issue, you know exactly where he stands. On the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to head HHS, Coburn is not just voting "no" but saying that confirming her will help destroy the country. Because of her support for abortion rights, Coburn said, her ascension to the job will put the United States "on our way to oblivion as a nation."

Other Republicans, including Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, said they would vote against confirmation because of her backing of government-backed health care. Bennett said his opposition wasn't partisan but was based on his view that nationalized health care "doesn't work." The vote is expected late this afternoon or early this evening. Even Coburn acknowledged that Sebelius is likely to be confirmed.

Google CEO Selected For Science Council

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:15:00 GMT

By JILL R. AITORO, Nextgov

Google's chief executive officer is one of 20 individuals that will advise the president and vice president in formulating policy about science, technology and innovation.

Eric Schmidt, Google chairman of the board and CEO, is the only person named to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAST, that comes directly from the information technology community. Prior to joining Google in 2001, he held executive positions at Novell and Sun Microsystems.

Schmidt will join experts in the areas of nanotechnology, oceanography, climate-change science and ecology, and solar system exploration, to name a few, in advising the administration about "national strategies to nurture and sustain a culture of scientific innovation," President Obama said in a statement.

PCAST will be co-chaired by John Holdren, assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and one of the principal leaders of the Human Genome Project; and Harold Varmus, president and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, former head of the National Institutes of Health and a Nobel laureate.

PCAST members under the George W. Bush administration wrote a transition letter that highlighted for their successors operational procedures and critical issues identified during their two terms on the council, and suggested that the new council work closely with the administration -- conducting interviews with people in the White House as well as in cabinet agencies -- to determine topics of study.

"The important role played by science and technology in our modern society can not be overemphasized," the previous council wrote in the letter. "As a result, the importance of dedicated individuals to provide advice to future administrations will be of growing importance."

FEMA, ICE Nominees Breeze Through Panel

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:48:00 GMT

By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved nominees Monday to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at the Homeland Security Department.

W. Craig Fugate, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, was approved as FEMA administrator, and John Morton, a longtime Justice Department official, was approved to be assistant secretary of ICE.

Both nominations were approved by unanimous voice votes and should be on the Senate floor soon.

Lost in Transition

Justice Souter Replacement List Grows

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Groves Vows Not To Politicize Census

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CTO To Make Transparency Recommendations

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FDA Nominee Promises Review Of Flu Response

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Marantis Confirmed As USTR Deputy

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Vitter Maintains Hold On FEMA Nominee

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Tenenbaum Picked For CPSC

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NJ's Ed Pound Moves To Recovery Oversight Board

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New DoD Procurement Chief Lays Out Priorities

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GOP Senators Stall Two Interior Deputies

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Choice For EPA Air Office Blocked By Barrasso

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Sebelius Confirmation Fills Out Cabinet

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Coburn: Sebelius Vote Heralds 'Oblivion'

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Google CEO Selected For Science Council

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FEMA, ICE Nominees Breeze Through Panel

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