By: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton
Your New Shadow Government
This is the current complete listing of Czar information… It will be added to daily as we expose each czar and add more information (special thanks to Michelle Malkin):
1. Afghanistan-Pakistan (Af-Pak) Czar: Richard Holbrooke
Actual Title: US Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- He believes in the power of negotiations to bring peace and prosperity to an increasingly fractured world. But he says diplomacy will only succeed if the U.S. pursues robust relationships with allies as well as with enemies, especially in places like the Middle East. He has also opposed unilateral action by U.S. officials;
- Afghanistan – Holbrooke will help Obama execute his Afghanistan plan. Obama plans to bolster American forces in Afghanistan, increase aid to Pakistan, and set strict standards for measuring progress in fighting Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Holbrooke was one of the architects of the plan, though he has maintained a relatively low profile so far.“The exit strategy,” he told the New York Times, “includes governance, corruption, but above all, and this is the single most difficult aspect of what we are talking about today, it requires dealing with Western Pakistan;”
- H.I.V. and AIDS – Holbrooke has called the rapid spread of H.I.V. and AIDS “the greatest problem we face today,” saying that the disease has destabilized governments and economies across the world.
While ambassador to the U.N., Holbrooke organized the Security Council’s first session on the diseases, a move that helped convince world leaders that AIDS was a security as well as a health problem. He has visited ten African countries and served as chief executive officer of the Global Business Council on H.I.V. and AIDS since 2000;
- United Nations Reform – Holbrooke has said the U.N. should bolster its peace-keeping abilities and increase the number of staff dedicated to that effort. He has also called on the U.N. to reduce the size of the Department of Information, the organization’s press conference; and
- Genocide Prevention – Holbrooke is a strong proponent of using multilateral military force to stem violence throughout the world. He has called the U.S. policy in Rwanda a terrible mistake and believes Americans should have engaged sooner.
He led the Security Council delegation to Congo in 1999 after fighting broke out in the country. It was one of the riskiest trips ever taken by U.N. officials. He also supported efforts to enforce sanctions on Angolan rebels in 2000.
Afghanistan Czar – Richard Holbrooke
Title: Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State• Will work with CENTCOM head Gen. David Petraeus to integrate U.S. civilian and military efforts in the region.
• 45 years of experience have made him a fixture of the Democrats’ foreign policy establishment.
• Was U.S. ambassador to U.N., 1999-2001
• Brokered the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia
• Also served as Assistant secretary of state, East Asia and the Pacific (1976 to 1980); worked in foreign service (1962 to 1976)
• From 1972 through 1976, was the editor of Foreign Policy magazine.
2. AIDS Czar: Jeffrey Crowley
Actual Title: Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy
Presidential Appointment Established: 2003
- Coordinate the continuing domestic efforts to reduce the number of new infections in the United States;
- Work to coordinate an increasingly integrated approach to the prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS; and
- Emphasize the domestic and international efforts to combat HIV/AIDS.
AIDS Czar * – Jeffrey Crowley
Title: Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy
Salary: $102,000
Reports to: President Obama (as part of the Executive Office of the President’s Domestic Policy Council)
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services• Coordinates HIV/AIDS policy domestically and internationally.
• Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute and a Senior Scholar at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center.
• Was Deputy Executive Director for Programs at the National Association of People with AIDS
• Has Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
3. Autism Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: Federal ASD Coordinator
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- To oversee and coordinate a nationwide effort to deal proactively with ASD;
- To conduct diverse but credible research, treatment, personal care/assistance and family support; and
- To work with existing national and state organizations and taskforces.
4. Auto Recovery Czar: Ed Montgomery
Actual Title: Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Charged with making sure displaced employees and struggling towns have access to federal stimulus funds and assistance.
Auto Recovery Czar – Ed Montgomery
Title: Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Larry Summers, the president’s top economic adviser, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Labor• Will work to leverage government resources to support the workers, communities and regions that rely on the American auto industry.
• Was Deputy Secretary and Chief Economist at the Labor Department (1997 to 1998)
• Is Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland (2003 to present)
• Has PhD in economics from Harvard
• In 2008, made $1,200 in political donations, all of which went to Obama’s presidential campaign.
• Wife is the granddaughter of a General Motors worker from Portland, Mich.
• Drives a 2000 Lincoln
5. Behavioral Science Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: Director of Social and Behavioral Research
Energy Secretary Appointment Established: 2009
To establish a social and behavioral sciences research program at the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.
The Secretary shall appoint or designate a Director of Social and Behavioral Research to carry out the program established under this section.
(c) Duties of the Director – The Director shall –
- Develop a research plan in accordance with section 2;
- Implement the research program under this section;
- Work with the relevant Department of Energy program offices to integrate the results of social and behavioral research into their work;
- Develop tools, practices, and information to apply and integrate the results of social and behavioral research into programs that –
- design, develop, and demonstrate technologies that supply energy and improve energy efficiency; and
- provide information on energy consumption to consumers.
This person will be charged with getting you to agree with government programs, to see why we do what we do and what motivates us….and get us to be motivated to follow government directives. These duties would be set up to identify and understand social and behavioral factors that influence energy consumption to promote the utilization of the results of social and behavioral research to improve the design, development, demonstration and application of energy technologies’ policies and programs.
6. Bailout Czar: Herbert Allison Jr.
Actual Title: Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability
Senate-Confirmed Established: 2009
- Handle mechanisms for purchasing troubled assets;
- Determine methods for pricing and valuing troubled assets;
- Dictate procedures for selecting asset managers;
- Determine criteria for identifying troubled assets;
- Oversee securities asset management services;
- Oversee whole loan asset management services;
- Oversee custodian, accounting, auction management and other infrastructure services; and
- Dictate other broad, vague and undefined powers granted by the Treasury.
7. Border Czar: Alan Bersin (Former US attorney)
Actual Title: Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs, US Department of Homeland Security
Senate-Confirmed Established: 2002
- Improving relationships with the Department’s partners in the international community, as well as those at the state and local level including elected officials, law enforcement, community organizations and religious leaders; and
- Leading the Department’s efforts to crack down on violence along the Southwest border highlighted in Secretary Napolitano’s March 24 announcement including the deployment of additional personnel and enhanced technology to help Mexico target illegal guns, drugs and cash.
Border Czar * – Alan Bersin
Title: Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Appointed: April 2009
Agencies that might have handled similar issues: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)• Will coordinate all of the department’s border security and law-enforcement efforts.
• Essentially had the same job under President Clinton; served as Attorney General Janet Reno’s special representative on border issues, a job that he held while retaining the position of U.S. attorney for San Diego.
• This time, boss will be Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who will expect him to handle illegal immigration and drug violence issues along the Mexican-American border
• Previous experience: Chairman of the San Diego Regional Airport Authority (2006 to 2009); Secretary of Education for California (2005 to 2006); Superintendent of San Diego Public Schools (1998 to 2005); U.S. Attorney for San Diego (1993 to 1998)
• Graduate of Harvard and Yale Law School
• Talking about border security shortly before he was named Clinton border czar in 1995, said he wanted to focus on suspected smugglers of both drugs and people and was not interested in prosecuting “economic migrants.”
• Often tied to the 1994 border policy called “Operation Gatekeeper.” The policy shifted the U.S. focus from the arresting of immigrants who actually crossed the border to an increased border presence designed to stop border crossing in the first place. When Bersin left the position in 1998, border arrests were on pace for an 18-year low of just more than 200,000. Latino groups complained that Operation Gatekeeper was immoral, saying the program monitored the border near San Diego but simply forced illegal immigrants to other, more dangerous areas.
• Has given more than $50,000 to political campaigns since 1999, almost all of it to Democrats
8. Car Czar: Ron Bloom
Actual Title: Head of the Obama Administration’s Auto Task Force
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Determine how much loan money each company gets, using the automakers’ requests as a guide;
- Determine “appropriate measures” for assessing each automaker’s progress in carrying out their restructuring goals;
- Determine if the car companies are acting in “good faith” if they can’t get restructuring plans in by March 31; and, if their faith is good, give them an extra 30 days to finish the plans;
- Determine whether to provide “long-term financial assistance” to help make their restructuring plans a reality;
- Determine allocation of loans, based on the automaker’s proximity of demise, the potential impact of failure on the economy and its restructuring plan;
- Determine whether the original, seven-year loans need to be extended, and if so, determine the extended repayment plan;
- Examine any financial books, company records and other data of the companies and those of any subsidiary or affiliate;
- Approve or veto “any asset sale, investment, contract, commitment, or other transaction” worth $25 million or more (i.e., czar ultimately has final say on any major business move);
- Determine the “consequences for failure to comply” (i.e., decide how to punish the car companies if they aren’t making adequate progress);
- Determine whether to take equity (invest) in the car companies using taxpayer money, and if so, decide how much equity to take;
- Determine what qualifies as exorbitant executive compensation, including inappropriate executive bonuses or incentive compensation and golden parachutes — and prohibit it; and
- Determine whether he or she needs additional powers, and if so, submit a report to Congress asking for them.
Car Czar – Ron Bloom
NOTE: on July 13, 2009, Bloom took over as head of the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, replacing Steven Rattner
Title: Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council head Larry Summers
Appointed: July 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury• A leader of the White House task force overseeing auto company bailouts; worked on restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler LLC.
• Was special assistant to president of the United Steelworkers union from 1996-Feb 2009
• Has negotiated restructuring deals for more than 50 companies, getting major concessions from unions and companies.
• Was raised in New York in a pro-union family, which included a schoolteacher mother and unionized relatives.
• After working for the Service Employees International Union, got an MBA from Harvard University because he thought unions lacked business smarts, he said in a 1996 interview in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• From 1985 to 1990, he worked as an investment banker with Lazard Freres & Co., which specializes in mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring, before co-founding the investment-banking firm Keilin and Bloom.
9. Climate Change Czar: Todd Stern
Actual Title: Special Envoy for Climate Change
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- To “serve as a principal advisor on international climate policy and strategy;
- He will be the Administration’s chief climate negotiator;
- He will be leading efforts with United Nations negotiations and processes involving a smaller set of countries and bilateral sessions;
- Because the main cause of climate change is the burning of fossil fuel and because the solution rests with our ability to shift the global economy from a high to a low carbon energy base, the Envoy will be a lead participant in the development of climate and clean energy policy; and
- He will participate in all energy-related policy discussions that, across our government, can have an impact on carbon emissions, and will be looking for opportunities to forge working alliances.
Climate Czar – Todd Stern
Title: Special Envoy for Climate Change
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency; State• Responsible for developing international approaches to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
• Served in the Clinton White House from 1993 to 1999; Was Head of the Initiative on Global Climate Change (1997 to 1999) and Adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury (1999 to 2001)
• As a top aide to President Clinton, helped negotiate the Kyoto and Buenos Aires climate pacts, both of which fell apart partially because of a lack of U.S. support during Bush administration.
• After Bush was elected to office, went to the Wilmer Hale law firm, where he is a partner in the regulatory and government affairs division.
• Was most recently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he focused on climate change and environmental issues.
• Has written extensively on climate change, and has called on the American government and the international community to take a series of steps to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
• Supports a national cap-and-trade system that would limit carbon emissions and reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil
• Has law degree from Harvard
10. Copyright Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- The IPEC would provide guidance to other federal departments and agencies in their efforts to combat IP infringement;
- The IPEC would mainly achieve this by chairing an IP enforcement advisory committee, made up of the Office of Management and Budget, the Justice Department, the Commerce Department, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the State Department, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, the Agriculture Department, and the U.S. Copyright Office; and
- The IPEC cannot control how these agencies investigate or prosecute IP infringement cases–but he or she will guide the development of a “Joint Strategic Plan” the advisory committee is charged to create to combat counterfeiting and infringement. The aim of the strategic plan is to disrupt counterfeiting and IP infringement both in the U.S. and abroad, ensure that enforcement efforts aren’t duplicated by the various agencies, establish a protocol for consulting with private industry, establish international standards for IP enforcement, and help other countries improve their IP enforcement efforts.
11. Counterterrorism Czar: Daniel Benjamin (was John Brennan)
Actual Title: Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security
Presidential Appointment Established: 2004
- Overseeing plans to protect the country from terrorism; and
- Responding to natural disasters.
Terrorism Czar – Daniel Benjamin
Title: Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
Salary: $172,200
Reports to: National Security Adviser James L. Jones
Appointed: August 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Homeland Security• Under Obama’s plan the homeland security adviser’s office would be eliminated, and the National Security Council would take over those duties. Benjamin would be responsible for guarding against natural disasters and terrorism.
• Has called for increased integration between the Departments of Commerce, State and Defense
12. Cybersecurity Czar: Howard A. Schmidt
Actual Title: Director of the White House Office of Cybersecurity
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- She will lead a review of the government’s efforts to secure computer networks against spies, terrorists and economic criminals;
- She will be in charge of curtailing Internet fraud; and
- She will head the new White House office of cybersecurity.
13. Disinformation Czar: Linda Douglass
Actual Title: Communications Director, Office of Health Reform
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Keep track of disinformation on health insurance reform;
- As legislation takes shape in Congress, will make sure Democrats have a unified message when it comes to controversial issues such as the need for a publicly funded health insurance option; and
- To make sure the American people understand any big changes to the current system, such as a proposed new national exchange on which consumers can buy insurance.
14. Domestic Violence Czar: Lynn Rosenthal
Actual Title: White House Advisor On Violence Against Women
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Advising the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues.
Domestic Violence Czar – Lynn Rosenthal
Title: White House adviser on Violence Against Women
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama and Vice President Biden
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services• Will advise the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues.
• 2000-2006: served as the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence
• Was an advocate for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2000 and 2005 and has assisted states and local communities with implementation of this federal legislation
• Was director of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
15. Drug Czar: Gil Kerlikowske
Actual Title: Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Presidential Appointment Established: 1982
- This position is charged with running the office of the Director of National Drug Control Policy that is colloquially known as the “Drug Czar,” a term first used in the media by then-Senator Joe Biden in October 1982;
- The Director evaluates, coordinates, and oversees both the international and domestic anti-drug efforts of executive branch agencies and ensures that such efforts sustain and complement State and local anti-drug activities;
- The Director advises the President regarding changes in the organization, management, budgeting, and personnel of federal agencies that effect U.S. anti-drug efforts; and
- The Director advises the President regarding federal agency compliance with their obligations under the National Drug Control Strategy, an annual report required by law.
Drug Czar * – Gil Kerlikowske
Title: Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: March 2009
Confirmed by Senate: May 7, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Justice• Directs drug-control policy in the U.S.; is expected to shift drug policy to intervention, treatment and a reduction of problem drug use.
• Was police chief for the city of Seattle from 2000-2009
• Was Deputy Director of the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (1998 to 2000); Police Chief for the city of Buffalo (1994 to 1998); Police chief of Fort Pierce, Fla. (N/A to 1994)
• A strong gun-control advocate, urged both the Washington legislature and the U.S. Congress to pass an assault-weapons ban and has worked to close the loophole that doesn’t require background checks at gun shows
• 2003: admitted that busting people for personal marijuana possession was not a top priority of the Seattle police department.
• As Seattle police chief, assigned an officer full-time to the drug court, which commuted sentences of drug users who complete medical treatment in lieu of going to jail.
16. Economic Czar: Larry Summers
Actual Title: Director of the National Economic Council
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- To coordinate policy-making for domestic and international economic issues;
- To coordinate economic policy advice for the President;
- To ensure that policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President’s economic goals; and
- To monitor implementation of the President’s economic policy agenda
17. Economic Czar II: Paul Volcker
Actual Title: Chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- The Board will meet regularly and provide advice directly to the President on the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs to jump-start economic growth, create jobs, raise wages and living standards, address the housing crisis, and stabilize financial markets; and
- The Board will also focus on how the response to the short-run economic crisis is laying the groundwork for the reforms necessary for longer-run prosperity.
Economic Czar * – Paul Volcker
Title: Chairman of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board
Salary: Volcker reportedly isn’t paid for his advice.
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury• Charged with offering independent, nonpartisan information, analysis, and advice to the President as he formulates and implements his plans for economic recovery.
• Some reports say he’s been marginalized by Larry Summers.
• Former Federal Reserve chairman (1979-1987)
• Was Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs, Department of the Treasury (1969 to 1974); Deputy Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs, Department of the Treasury (1963 to 1965)
• Gave Obama campaign $2,300 in 2008.
18. Education Czar: Arne Duncan
Actual Title: Secretary of Education
Presidential Appointment Established: 1981
- Establishes policies relating to federal financial aid for education, administers distribution of those funds, and monitors their use;
- Collects data and oversees research on America’s schools and disseminates this information to educators and the general public;
- Identifies the major issues and problems in education and focuses national attention on them; and
- Enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal funds and ensures equal access to education for every individual;
19. Energy Czar: Carol M. Browner
Actual Title: Assistant to the President, White House Office of Energy and Climate Change
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Overseer, promoting smooth cooperation among the different energy and climate entities.
Energy and Environment Czar – Carol Browner
Title: Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
Salary: $172,200
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: EPA• Coordinates energy and climate policy, emphasizing regulation and conservation.
• Was Environmental Protection Agency administrator in the Clinton administration (1993-2000)
• Was Florida Secretary of the Environment (1991 to 1993)
• Founded and continues to serve as a principal of The Albright Group LLC, a global strategy firm led by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Also a principal of Albright Capital Management, an investment advisory firm that concentrates on emerging markets.
• Worked on the Socialist International’s Commission for a Sustainable World Society, which argues that the global community must work collectively to address environmental policies
• Described Bush administration as the “worst environmental administration ever”
• While orchestrating private discussions between the White House and auto industry officials on vehicle fuel efficiency standards, kept the talks as quiet as possible. Mary Nichols, the head of the California Air Resources Board, said, “We put nothing in writing, ever.”
• 2003: A federal judge held the Environmental Protection Agency in contempt for destroying computer files during the Clinton administration that had been sought by a conservative legal foundation. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth also ordered the EPA to pay the Landmark Legal Foundation’s legal fees and costs because the agency disobeyed his order to preserve the electronic records of Browner, the former EPA chief.
20. Food Safety Czar: Michael Taylor
Actual Title: Special Assistant to the FDA Commissioner for Food Safety
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- A single agency accountable for providing consistent and coordinated oversight of food safety, from farm to table;
- Institution of Pathogen Reduction: HACCP, with performance standards verified by pathogen testing, at every step of food production;
- Recall authority, access to records, and penalties for lapses in safety procedures;
- Standards for imported foods equivalent to those for domestic foods; and
- Food safety to take precedence over commercial considerations in trade disputes.
21. Government Performance Czar: Jeffrey Zients
Actual Title: Chief Performance Officer
Senate-Confirmed Established: 2009
- He is also the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget in the federal government of the United States; and
- To help “streamline processes, cut costs, and find best practices throughout” the U.S. government.
Government Performance Czar – Jeffrey Zients
Title: Chief Performance Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orzag
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by the Senate (as deputy director for management for the OMB): June 19, 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB• Charged with cutting costs and finding best practices throughout government.
• Has never worked in government before
• Was a chief executive and former management consultant
• Was founder of Portfolio Logic (2004 to present); Partner of the Washington Baseball Club (2004 to 2006); CEO of the Advisory Board (1998 to 2004)
• Has donated just over $90,000 to political campaigns since 1999, almost all of which went to Democratic candidates
22. Great Lakes Czar: Cameron Davis
Actual Title: Great Lakes Czar
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- He will coordinate efforts of about a dozen federal agencies working on the administration’s Great Lakes project, which deals with issues such as invasive species, polluted harbors, sewage overflows and degraded wildlife habitat.
Great Lakes Czar – Cameron Davis
Title: Special advisor to the U.S. EPA overseeing its Great Lakes restoration plan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
Appointed: June 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: Environmental Protection Agency• Oversees the administration’s initiative to restore the Great Lakes’ environment.
• President of the Chicago-based environmentalist group Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Was a litigating attorney and served as an adjunct clinical assistant professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School.
• Served with the United Nations Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya, where he worked on the Montreal Protocol to protect the Earth’s ozone layer, and U.S. EPA’s Office of Regional Counsel in Chicago
23. Guantanomo Closure Czar: Daniel Fried
Actual Title: US Department of State Special Envoy for Guantanomo Closure
Secretary of State Appointment Established: 2009
- To plead individual war on terror detainee cases in Europe and the Middle East;
- To persuade European countries as well as Yemen to take back some of the 240 or so long-held prisoners; and
- To empty Guantanomo by the end of President Obama’s first year in office, to be preceded by a now ongoing case-by-case review of the detainees’ files.
Guantanamo Closure Czar – Daniel Fried
Title: Special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Justice; State• Works to get help of foreign governments in moving toward closure of Guantanamo Bay, in fulfillment of Obama’s promise to close the prison within a year of taking office.
• Was Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, State Department (2005 to 2009); Director for European and Eurasian Affairs, State Department (2001 to 2005); U.S. Ambassador to Poland (1997 to 2001)
24. Health Czar: Nancy-Ann DeParle
Actual Title: Director of the White House Office of Health Reform
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:20
- Will work with the Health and Human Services Secretary as the President’s point person coordinating outreach to Congress on the administration’s ambitious health care reform agenda; and
- Will also oversee the stimulus package funds to establish 126 new health centers. The centers will be designed to help provide primary and preventive health care services to people without health insurance.
Health Czar * – Nancy-Ann DeParle
Title: Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform
Salary: $158,500
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services (HHS)• Coordinates the development of the Administration’s healthcare policy agenda.
• Experience: Managing Director, CCMP Capital (since 2001); Adjunct professor (focusing on healthcare policy), Wharton School of Business (since 2001); Commissioner, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (since 2001); Fellow, Harvard Institue of Politics (2000 to 2001); Director, Healthcare Financing Administration (1997 to 2000)
• Has law degree from Harvard
• Served as the OMB’s representative on health-care reform during Bill Clinton’s first term
• As head of the HHS Health Care Financing Administration under Clinton, ran the largest health insurance provider in America, overseeing $600 billion in payments annually to 74 million recipients of Medicare and Medicaid
• 2001: left government to take a year-long fellowship at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, where she was part of Harvard’s Health Care Policy Forum and led a weekly study group on reforming Medicare.
• During Bush administration, sat on the boards of many health companies, from medical treatment producers to hospital systems
• In September 2008, donated $2,300 each to Clinton and Barack Obama.
25. Infotech Czar: Vivek Kundra
Actual Title: Chief Information Officer of the United States
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- He will be part of the Office of Management and Budget;
- He will oversee $71 billion in annual technology spending across the government; and
- He will set standards for the design of federal systems.
Information Czar – Vivek Kundra
Title: Federal Chief Information Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag
Appointed: March 2009
Agencies that might have handled similar issues: other federal agency CIOs• Basically in charge of overseeing other federal agency CIOs and for setting technology policy across the government.
• Head of a federal technology budget that amounts to $71 billion annually
• Operation is housed in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and will likely have authority to question how money in departmental technology budgets is used
• Formerly head of the District of Columbia’s technology operations
• Shortly after he joined the OMB, federal authorities raided his old District government office. They arrested two technology office managers and a subcontractor, charging them with a bribery scheme that allegedly defrauded the city out of at least $500,000. Kundra was not a suspect in the case, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
• Has a masters from Maryland in information technology.
• Experience: Washington, D.C. Chief Technology Officer (2007 to 2009); State of Virginia’s Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Trade (2006 to 2007); CEO of computer security firm Creostar
26. Intelligence Czar: Admiral Dennis Blair
Actual Title: Director of National Intelligence
Presidential Appointment with the Advice and Consent of the Senate Established: 2005
- Serving as the principal adviser to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to the national security;
- Serving as the head of the sixteen-member Intelligence Community; and
- Overseeing and directing the National Intelligence Program.
Intelligence Czar * – Dennis Blair
Title: Director of National Intelligence
Salary: $197,700
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: January 2009
Confirmed by Senate: January 28, 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: CIA• Nation’s top intelligence official.
• Retired four-star admiral.
• Graduate of the United States Naval Academy, 1968; sixth-generation naval officer
• Lacks professional roots in the world of intelligence
• Held a number of prestigious Washington posts, including the Pentagon’s top liaison to the CIA and director of the Joint Staff.
• Ran the non-profit Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), which focuses primarily on issues related to national security, and does a lot of work for the Defense Department. Left IDA under a cloud of controversy in mid-2006.
27. Internet Czar: Unappointed – Susan Crawford Resigns
Actual Title: Special Assistant for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Will oversee the Internet and blogging related issues as well as a host of national security issues.
28. Latin-American Czar: Arturo Valenzuela
Actual Title: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
Senate-Confirmed Established: 1944
- Strengthening an Inter-American community formed by economic partners that are democratic, stable, and prosperous;
- Strengthening an Inter-American community formed by friendly neighbors that help secure our region against terrorism and illegal drugs; and
- Strengthening an Inter-American community formed by nations that work together in the world to advance shared political and economic values.
29. Manufacturing Czar: Ron Bloom
Actual Title: Senior Counselor for Manufacturing Policy to the National Economic Council
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- He will have broad authority over domestic policy;
- He will coordinate domestic economic policy;
- He will work on lowering tax burdens and reducing regulatory costs for manufacturers;
- He will look for ways to expand the domestic energy supply;
- He will maintain a skilled workforce; and
- He will expand the innovative capacity of manufacturing.
30. Media Diversity Czar: Mark Lloyd
Actual Title: Chief Diversity Officer
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Restore local and national caps on the ownership of commercial radio stations;
- Ensure greater local accountability over radio licensing; and
- Require commercial owners who fail to abide by enforceable public interest obligations to pay a fee to support public broadcasting.
31. Mideast Peace Czar: George Mitchell
Actual Title: Special Envoy to the Middle East
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Focus on achieving a two-state solution;
- Continuing the efforts to improve the economy and security of Palestinians and Israelis; and
- Resolving the Arab Israeli conflict and furthering US national interests in the region.
Mideast Peace Czar – George Mitchell
Title: Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
Appointed: January 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State• Works to maintain the shaky peace between Israel and Hamas after recent hostilities
• Senate majority leader from 1989 to 1994
• Was special envoy to Northern Ireland during the Clinton administration and lead investigator into steroid use in Major League Baseball.
• 2000: led a fact-finding committee to study violence in the Middle East; 2001’s Mitchell Report formed the basis for the road map for Middle East peace
32. Mideast Policy Czar: John Limbert
Actual Title: Special Advisor for Iran, the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Trying to integrate policy development and implementation across a number of offices and officials in the State Department;
- Providing the secretary with strategic advice; and
- Ensuring that there’s a coherence in our policies and strategies across the region.
Central Region Czar – John Limbert
Title: Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Central Region (encompasses the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia)
Salary: unknown
Reports to: National Security Adviser Gen. James L. Jones
Appointed: November 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State
33. Pay Czar: Kenneth Feinberg
Actual Title: Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation
Treasury Appointment Established: 2009
- To oversee the compensation of the top executives at companies which have received federal bailout assistance; and
- He will have broad discretion to set the salaries and bonuses for their five most senior executives and their 20 most highly paid employees.
Pay Czar – Kenneth R. Feinberg
Title: Special Master on executive pay
Salary: reportedly receiving no compensation for his work.
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury• Named to examine compensation practices at companies that have been bailed out more than once by the federal government
• Oversaw the payouts to the families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
• Was the chief administrator to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, which commemorates the students who died in the April 2007 shooting rampage at Virginia Tech
• Founder and managing partner of Feinberg Rozen LLP (1992 to present), law firm specializing in mediation
• Was Chief of staff for Sen. Edward Kennedy (1978 to 1980)
• While working with the Feinberg Group, donated over $150,000, nearly all of which has gone to Democratic candidates and political action committees. In 2007, donated $2,300 to 2008 presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani (R).
34. Regulatory Czar: Cass Sunstein
Actual Title: Director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Senate-Confirmed Established: 1980
- Reviewing draft regulations under Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review;
- Reviewing proposed collections of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act; and
- Developing and overseeing the implementation of Administration policies in the areas of:
– Statistical policy;
– Information technology;
– Privacy; and
– Data quality.
Regulatory Czar – Cass R. Sunstein *
Title: Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Office of Management and Budget head Peter Orszag
Appointed: January 2009
Nomination was sent to Senate on April 20, 2009 – no action yet taken
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB• Will be responsible for reviewing draft regulations and assessing their costs and benefits
• Is a Harvard Law School professor; prior to that, was a professor at the Univ. of Chicago Law School (1981-2008)
• Academic specialties: constitutional law, administrative law, and regulatory policy
• Obama: “Cass is not only a valued advisor, he is a dear friend”
• Known for advancing a field called “law and behavioral economics” that seeks to shape law and policy around the way research shows people actually behave; though embraced by conservatives, critics say it fails to account for the sometimes less-than-rational aspects of human behavior.
• In his 2002 book, Republic.com, discussed the drawbacks of limitless choices on the Internet that allow people to seek out only like-minded people and opinions that merely fortify their own views; he talked about the idea of the government requiring sites to link to opposing views. He later came to realize it was a “bad idea.”
• In his 2004 book, Animal Rights, suggested that animals ought to be able to bring suit, with private citizens acting as their representatives, to ensure that animals are not treated in a way that violates current law.
• In a 2007 speech at Harvard he called for banning hunting in the U.S.
• The American Conservative Union started a website, Stop Sunstein, in an effort to keep him out of the White House.
35. Religion Czar: Joshua Dubois
Actual Title: Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Presidential Appointment Established: 2001
- The Office’s top priority will be making community groups an integral part of our economic recovery and poverty a burden fewer have to bear when recovery is complete;
- It will be one voice among several in the administration that will look at how we support women and children, address teenage pregnancy, and reduce the need for abortion;
- The Office will strive to support fathers who stand by their families, which involves working to get young men off the streets and into well-paying jobs, and encouraging responsible fatherhood; and
- Finally, beyond American shores this Office will work with the National Security Council to foster interfaith dialogue with leaders and scholars around the world.
Faith-Based Czar * – Joshua DuBois
Title: Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Salary: $98,000
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Health and Human Services• Acts as a liaison between faith and secular community groups and the White House, often partnering with them to tackle social issues. Helps these groups apply for federal grants available to them.
• Is 26 years old
• Has master’s in public affairs from Princeton University; served as associate pastor
• Worked for Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) as an intern and then as a fellow for Rep. Charles B. Rangel (DN. Y.).
• Hired as a legislative correspondent in Obama’s Senate office in May 2005
• In 2008, at the age of 25, was appointed director of religious affairs for the Obama campaign
36. ‘Safe Schools’ Czar: Kevin Jennings
Actual Title: Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Provide financial assistance for drug and violence prevention activities and activities that promote the health and well being of students in elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education. Activities may be carried out by State and local educational agencies and by other public and private nonprofit organizations;
- Participate in the formulation and development of ED program policy and legislative proposals and in overall Administration policies related to violence and drug prevention; drafting program regulations;
- Participate in interagency committees, groups, and partnerships related to drug and violence prevention, coordinating with other Federal agencies on issues related to comprehensive school health, and advising the Secretary on the formulation of comprehensive school health education policy;
- Participate with other Federal agencies in the development of a national research agenda for drug and violence prevention; and
- Administer the Department’s programs relating to citizenship and civics education.
37. Science Czar: John Holdren
Actual Title: Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Senate-Confirmed Established: 1976
- Advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the impacts of science and technology on domestic and international affairs;
- Lead an interagency effort to develop and implement sound science and technology policies and budgets;
- Work with the private sector to ensure Federal investments in science and technology contribute to economic prosperity, environmental quality, and national security;
- Build strong partnerships among Federal, State, and local governments, other countries, and the scientific community; and
- Evaluate the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the Federal effort in science and technology.
Science Czar – John Holdren
Title: Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: December 2008
Confirmed by Senate: March 19, 2009
Agency or department that might have handled similar issues: Energy• Top adviser to Obama on science and technology, issues that are increasingly relevant to other issues such as homeland security, energy and environmentalism
• Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy and Director, Program in Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (1996-2009); Harvard University Professor of Environmental Science and Public Policy (1996-2009); University of California, Berkeley Professor of Energy and Resources Emeritus (1996 to present)
• Studied aerospace engineering and plasma physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — where he earned his BS and MS — and Stanford University, where he received his doctorate in 1970
• Is an outspoken advocate of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and believes the United States should sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.
• In a 2008 New York Times op-ed, Holdren called climate change skeptics “dangerous” members of a “denier fringe.”
• In 1971, co-authored a paper in Global Ecology suggesting “some form of ecocatastrophe, if not thermonuclear war, seems almost certain to overtake us before the end of the century.”
• Some conservative media outlets have called attention to a book Holdren co-authored in 1977 titled Ecoscience: Population, Resources, and Environment. The book reportedly includes this statement: “population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing Constitution.” Holdren’s office says he “does not now and never has been an advocate of compulsory abortions or other repressive measures to limit fertility.”
38. Stimulus Oversight Czar: Earl Devaney
Actual Title: Inspector General, US Department of the Interior
Senate-Confirmed Established: 2009
- Delivering unprecedented levels of transparency through Recovery.gov; and
- Coordinating and conducting oversight of Recovery funds to prevent fraud, waste of abuse.
Stimulus Accountability Czar – Earl Devaney
Title: Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Vice President Biden
Appointed: February 2009
Agency that might have handled similar issues: OMB• Leads oversight board that monitors money spent by the stimulus package
• Experience: Inspector General at the Interior Department (1999 to present); Director of criminal enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency (1991 to 1999); Special Agent at the Secret Service (1970 to 1991)
• During his tenure at Interior, uncovered the shady dealings of disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, an investigation that eventually led to Abramoff’s imprisonment and the resignation of Interior’s no. 2, J. Steven Griles, for lying under oath about his own role in the scandal.
• On July 8, 2009, the U.S. General Services Administration issued a press release announcing an $18 million contract for a new recovery.gov web site, which quoted Devaney as saying, “We are pleased that another major milestone has been achieved.”
39. Sudan Czar: J. Scott Gration
Actual Title: Special Envoy to Sudan
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Support full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, including holding credible national elections in 2009 and a credible referendum in 2011;
- Facilitate a political agreement that stops the violence in Darfur, including cross-border violence with Chad, and allows the return of displaced persons to their home areas; and
- Promote regional engagement that effectively counters terrorism and supports stability.
Sudan Czar – J. Scott Gration
Title: Special Envoy to Sudan
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Appointed: March 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: State• Will coordinate U.S. role in the aftermath of the genocide in Darfur
• Experience: Supreme Allied Command, NATO (2004 to 2005); Air Force assistant deputy undersecretary for international affairs (2003 to 2004)
• Commanded all air operations during the Iraq war in 2003
• 2006: left Air Force position to join Obama’s staff after traveling to Africa with the then-Senator from Illinois, even though he was a Republican
• Has won a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, a Defense Superior Service Medal and 16 other awards
• Is a fluent Swahili speaker who grew up in the Congo
• Has called on the Obama administration to incentivize participation by the Sudanese government in peace talks by lifting sanctions, a position that is controversial. Also worked to position himself as the principal negotiator between the Sudanese government and its adversaries in Darfur, and is planning an international conference for September 2009
• Has M.A. in security studies from Georgetown
40. TARP Czar: Elizabeth Warren
Actual Title: Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Trouble Assets Relief Program
Senate-Confirmed Established: 2009
- She is responsible for developing and coordinating Treasury’s policies on legislative and regulatory issues affecting financial stability, including overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
41. TARP Czar II: Herb Allison
Actual Title: Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability, US Department of the Treasury
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- is responsible for developing and coordinating Treasury’s policies on legislative and regulatory issues affecting financial stability, including overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
TARP Czar – Herb Allison
Title: Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
Appointed: June 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Treasury• Leads the government’s $700 billion financial rescue program in the office of financial stability
• Veteran Wall Street banker and interim head of the mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae
• Worked at Merrill Lynch for 28 years, reaching position of president and COO
• Was CEO of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund (2002 to 2008); CEO of the Alliance for Lifelong Learning (2000 to 2002)
• Has undergraduate degree from Yale and MBA from Stanford
• 2000: was John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign finance chairman
• In 2008, donated $2,300 to Obama’s presidential campaign
42. Technology Czar: Aneesh Chopra
Actual Title: Federal Chief Technology Officer of the United States
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- To promote technological innovation to help the country meet its goals such as job creation, reducing health care costs, and protecting the homeland; and
- Together with the Chief Information Officer, their jobs are to make the government more effective, efficient, and transparent.
Technology Czar – Aneesh Chopra
Title: Chief Technology Officer
Salary: unknown
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by Senate: May 21, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Commerce• Will lead in the effort to eliminate wasteful government programs
• Will probably work to increase broadband access nationwide and computerize medical records
• Was Virginia’s secretary of technology (2005-2009)
• Has degree in public health from Johns Hopkins, Master’s from Harvard in public policy
• Worked at Morgan Stanley as investment banker; also worked at Advisory Board, a health-care research and consultancy firm
• Has donated more than $24,000 since 1997 to various campaigns. With the exception of a $1,000 donation to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) in 2004, all of Chopra’s contributions have gone to Democrats. From 2007 to 2008, Chopra donated $2,750 to Obama’s presidential campaign.
43. Trade Czar: Ron Kirk
Actual Title: United States Trade Representative
Presidential Appointment Established: 1962
- Conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels; and
- Coordinating trade policy within the government through the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) and Trade Policy Review Group (TPRG).
44. Urban Affairs/Housing Czar: Adolfo Carrion
Actual Title: Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs Policy
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- To provide leadership for and coordinate the development of the policy agenda for urban America across executive departments and agencies;
- To coordinate all aspects of urban policy with all executive departments and agencies to ensure that any policy developed has been examined for its impact on urban affairs;
- To ensure that Federal Government dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs; and
- To engage in outreach and work closely with State and local officials, with nonprofit organizations, and with the private sector, both in seeking input regarding the development of a comprehensive urban policy and in ensuring that the implementation of Federal programs advances the objectives of that policy.
Urban Affairs Czar – Adolfo Carrion Jr.
Title: White House Director of Urban Affairs
Salary: $158,500
Reports to: President Obama
Appointed: February 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Housing and Urban Development• Job entails coordinating transportation and housing initiatives, as well as serving as a conduit for federal aid to economically hard-hit cities.
• Has undergraduate degree in world religions from Kings College; became an associate pastor at a Bronx church; earned his master’s degree in urban planning from Hunter College
• Was Bronx Borough President (2001-2009); President of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (since 2007); City Council member (1998 to 2000)
• Many reporters say he has higher ambitions and will probably run for New York City mayor in the next ten years.
• Was an active campaigner for Obama, travelling across the country to speak on his behalf. He focused particularly on states with large Hispanic populations.
• The NY Daily News reported numerous developers made tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations to Carrión around the same time he was considering approving their projects in the Bronx
45. War Czar: Douglas Lute
Actual Title: Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan
Presidential Appointment Established: 2007
- Oversee the war in Iraq; and
- Oversee the war in Afghanistan.
46. Water Czar: David J. Hayes
Actual Title: Deputy Secretary of the Interior
Senate-Confirmed Established: 2009
- Statutory responsibility as the Chief Operating Officer to help lead a Department of 67,000 employees and an annual budget of approximately $16 billion, including annual and permanent funding; and
- Overseeing modern water management approaches in the West, settling long-standing Indian water and land disputes and establishing new National Parks.
California Water Czar – David J. Hayes
Title: Deputy Interior Secretary
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
Appointed: June 2009
Confirmed by Senate (as Deputy Interior Security): May 20, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Interior• Charged with coordinating federal agencies to ease California’s water shortage
• Graduate of Stanford Law School; clerked for U.S. District Court for the D.C., has been a partner at two big D.C. law firms
• Was deputy interior secretary under Bruce Babbitt during Clinton administration
• From 1993 to 1995, was chairman of the board at the Environmental Law Institute, a non-profit research center.
• As a lobbyist, represented the Southern California Metropolitan Water District in 2001
• In August 2008, wrote a policy report while working at the Progressive Policy Institute accusing the Bush administration of leaving a “damaging legacy” in their natural resource management policies
• Donated $2,300 to Clinton during 2008 campaign; after she withdrew, donated $2,300 to Obama
47. Weapons Czar: Ashton Carter
Actual Title: Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Supervising Department of Defense acquisition;
- Establishing policies for acquisition (including procurement of goods and services, research and development, developmental testing, and contract administration) for all elements of the Department of Defense;
- Establishing policies for logistics, maintenance, and sustainment support for all elements of the Department of Defense;
- Establishing policies of the Department of Defense for maintenance of the defense industrial base of the United States; and
- The authority to direct the Secretaries of the military departments and the heads of all other elements of the Department of Defense with regard to matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility.
Weapons Czar – Ashton Carter
Title: Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Salary: unknown
Reports to: Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Appointed: April 2009
Confirmed by Senate: April 23, 2009
Department that might have handled similar issues: Defense• Will coordinate the Pentagon’s acquisitions, technology and logistics for weapons.
• Will oversee a weapons-buying system that Obama has placed at the top of his list of federal programs he wants to fix and will be asked to quickly weigh in on difficult decisions concerning at least 10 major defense programs, while also instantly dissecting the procurement system’s ailments so he can advise the administration on its Pentagon acquisition reform agenda
• Is a physicist and Harvard academic whose only previous Pentagon stint was in a mid-level policy post from 1993 until 1996 under the Clinton administration
• Graduated from Yale summa cum laude; studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and earned a doctorate in theoretical physics.
• Chair of Harvard’s International Relations, Science & Security Area International Security Program within the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy (1993 to 1996); Director of the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School (early 1990s)
• Has donated primarily to Democratic politicians since 2000. He donated $6,900 to then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in 2007 and 2008. He gave the same amount to then Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) during that same span.
48. Weapons of Mass Destruction Czar: Gary Samore
Actual Title: National Security Council Staff
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Oversees efforts to reduce existing nuclear arsenals, stop proliferation to additional countries and prevent terrorists and other non-state actors from acquiring nuclear weapons; and
- Top priorities include convincing Russia to negotiate a new strategic-arms reduction treaty, de-nuclearizing North Korea through six-party talks and stopping Iran from developing its nuclear weapons capacity.
WMD Policy Czar – Gary Samore
Title: White House Coordinator for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Security and Arms Control
Salary: unknown
Reports to: National Security Advisor Gen. James L. Jones
Appointed: January 2009
Department or agency that might have handled similar issues: NSC; Defense; State• Will coordinate issues related to weapons of mass destruction across the government. His portfolio includes proliferation, nuclear and conventional arms control, threat reduction, and terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.
• Position sits within the National Security Council.
• Is a veteran arms control negotiator.
• B.A. in sociology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his PhD in government from Harvard University in 1984.
• After brief stints with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the RAND Corporation, joined the State Department during the Reagan administration in 1987. Held several positions there, including director of the Office of Regional Non-proliferation Affairs; special assistant to the Ambassador-at-Large for Non-proliferation and Nuclear Energy Policy; and deputy to Ambassador-at-Large for Korean Affairs Robert Gallucci. Helped to negotiate the 1994 U.S.-North Korea Framework Treaty
• Joined the Clinton administration’s National Security Council in 1995 as an adviser on nonproliferation. Coordinated U.S. policy on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
• Was Director, Council on Foreign Relations (2006 to 2009); Vice President for Global Security and Sustainability, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (2005); Researcher, International Institute of Strategic Studies (2001 to 2005)
49. Workplace Czar: Chai Feldblum
Actual Title: Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
- Enforces laws against workplace discrimination.
Potential Czars not yet vetted:
1. Income Redistribution Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: No information currently.
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:
No information currently. Source: NewsMax – Obama Era of 1,000 Czars Ushers in Caesar
2. Mortgage Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: No information currently.
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:
No information currently.
3. Land-Use Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: No information currently.
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:
No information currently. Source: BOVARD – Ten Thousand Czars
4. Student Loan Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: No information currently.
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:
No information currently. Source: Glenn Beck TV Show
5. Voter List Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: No information currently.
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:
No information currently. Source: NewsMax – Obama Era of 1,000 Czars Ushers in Caesar
6. Zoning Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: No information currently.
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:
No information currently. Source: BOVARD – Ten Thousand Czars
7. Health Insurance Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: No information currently.
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:
No information currently. Source: Glenn Beck – List of Obama’s Czars
8. Interrogation Czar: Not appointed yet.
Actual Title: No information currently.
Presidential Appointment Established: 2009
Duties:
No information currently. Source: Fox News – Obama Administration Sets Up New Interrogation Unit
NOTE: positions that also existed under previous administrations are indicated with an *.
A special thank you goes out to American Daughter Media Center who provided me with further details and corrections to this list…
More on Obama’s Czars can be found here…
