Number, role of Obama's policy 'czars' spark debate

WASHINGTON -- The latest skirmish between conservatives and the Obama administration — the proliferation of "czars" named by the president to handle pressing issues — is prompting efforts in Congress to put limits on the White House.

Lawmakers from both political parties agree that the term itself is subjective, and they acknowledge that they aren't sure how many czars there are — or whether some of the special advisers are even czars at all.

"The question is: What do these guys do, and how much are they costing us?" says Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga. He is sponsoring a bill to withhold funding from any top policy adviser not confirmed by the Senate, which signs off on Cabinet secretaries and other top officials.

In the Senate, Democrats, such as Robert Byrd of West Virginia, are questioning the constitutionality of the advisers the White House says it needs to coordinate policy and advise the president on issues from health care to the Middle East. Republicans, such as Susan Collins of Maine, are trying to curb funding for them.

Unlike Cabinet secretaries, who regularly testify before Congress, most special advisers are accountable only to the president. Some, such as Carol Browner, who oversees climate change and energy issues, earn $172,200 a year, according to the White House's report on staff salaries.

Concerns about czars gained momentum in recent weeks when the political activism of Van Jones, who was in charge of promoting Obama's green jobs initiatives, came to light. Among other things, Jones had signed a petition for a group alleging that the Bush administration planned the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He resigned Sept. 5 and declined to comment for this story.

A central question in the debate: Just how many so-called czars are there?

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck, who has fueled concern about the advisers by charging that they are another manifestation of big government run amok under control of the Democrats, puts the count at 32. Politico, a Web-based publication covering politics, lists 29. Collins' office cites 18, excluding positions such as the AIDS czar that have existed for years.