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![handle is hein.brennan/acactofa0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
BRENNAN
CENTER
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law welcomes the introduction of the
Accountability for Acting Officials Act, an important step towards ensuring qualified and
accountable officials occupy key positions in the executive branch. We are pleased to
endorse this legislation, and we thank Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and
Congresswoman Katie Porter for their leadership on this important issue.
Presidents are increasingly sidestepping the confirmation process, with President Trump
submitting nominations to the Senate at a slower pace than any of his predecessors in the
last 40 years. As highlighted in a recent r port by the Brennan Center's Natiatu-l Tas
Force on Rule of Lawv & Dmocrac , abuses in the appointment process, particularly the
misuse of acting officials, have hampered critical executive branch functions and
diminished public trust in government.
As Brennan Center Fellow and former Director of the White House Office of Presidential
Personnel Rudy Mehrbani notes, Senate confirmation was never intended to be optional
for principal officers. The Accountability for Acting Officials Act closes several
loopholes in the Federal Vacancies Reform Act [the law governing the designation of
'acting' officials] that allow unaccountable temporary 'acting' officials to undermine the
Senate's constitutional role. The proposed legislation is consistent with the
recommendations put forward by the Task Force's members, a bipartisan group of former
senior officials and agency leaders who have served in Democratic and Republican
administrations.
We hope that this bill will be the first step in sustained efforts towards reforming the
FVRA as well as the confirmation process. The Brennan Center's Task Force has also
recommended other reforms in this area, including changes to streamline the nomination
and confirmation process, expand anti-nepotism protections, and ensure senior executive
branch positions are filled by qualified personnel.
We strongly urge the House of Representatives and the Senate to take up this important
legislation and pass it into law.
Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law
1140 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20036](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.brennan/acactofa0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)