Congress, White House urged to streamline national security appointments

Congress and the executive branch must reduce the number of politically appointed national security jobs or face increased vulnerability to terrorist threats, a panel of government officials and outside experts told a Senate Governmental Affairs subcommittee Tuesday.

Fred Fielding and Jamie Gorelick, both members of the 9/11 Commission, said the panel's recommendations call for presidential candidates to choose a national security team before an election, and that presidents-elect should submit the names of those appointees to the FBI so security clearances can be obtained immediately.

"We would like to make it appear to be irresponsible not to begin thinking about the next steps even when the election is pending," Gorelick told the Governmental Affairs Government Management Subcommittee.

Fielding said the transition period between two administrations makes the country vulnerable to national security threats, and lessening the vulnerability during this "dangerous hiatus" would require more timely political appointments.

The commission recommended exempting so-called Level 3 executive appointees for national security from Senate confirmation with the goal of having a new administration's national security team in place within 30 days of the presidential inauguration.

Subcommittee members welcomed a number of the commission's recommendations, but agreed that ending Level 3 confirmations has little chance of passing. Paul Light, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said Senate scrutiny is justified for many Level 3 appointments, such as inspectors general, some assistant secretaries and chief financial officers. But he said other positions, such as assistant secretaries for public affairs, could likely be weeded out to streamline the process.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats Tuesday released a report that found security gaps remain three years after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York and other members of the Democratic Senate task force on homeland security said the Bush administration has "begun to address many security needs, but has completed few of them."

The senators claimed that "gaping holes" remain in rail, subway, truck and port security. Safeguards for nuclear power plants, immigration and cybersecurity are also lacking. Democrats said the administration has not provided adequate funding, focus or effort for homeland security programs.