Unfettered Authority
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson gets a lot more than $700 billion to spend in the financial bailout bill about to be passed in rejected by Congress. The bill also gives him virtually unprecedented authority to run a federal operation:
The Secretary is authorized to take such actions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the authorities in this Act, including, without limitation, the following:
(1) The Secretary shall have direct hiring authority with respect to the appointment of employees 5 to administer this Act.
(2) Entering into contracts, including contracts for services authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code.
Notice the "without limitation" part. And in case that's not perfectly clear with respect to contracting, the legislation further spells it out: "the Secretary may waive specific provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation upon a determination that urgent and compelling circumstances make compliance with such provisions contrary to the public interest."
The legislation creates an inspector general and an oversight board to oversee the new operation, but with this kind of authority, what could they possibly find that would be out of bounds?
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Government Executive Staff Correspondent Alyssa Rosenberg takes a look at news affecting the management and operations of the massive federal bureaucracy.
Looks like Henry Paulson, plans on hiring his Wall Street buddies to administer his $700B bail out. With unemployment rising, we need to put all those unemployed investment bankers back to work. We certainly don't want any federal employment regulations restricting his ability to hire and pay these folks if it is not in the style that they are accustomed to. Henry Paulson most likely wants to design his own NSPS system without any interference from anyone. The Bush administration. . . . breaking the mold at every turn.
Den Katter Posted Monday, September 29, 2008 2:24 PMLet me say this to "DEN". While I agree with what you said, I would like to say to you that I don't think the name you used is your real name. I think you reversed the second letters in the first and last name to fool folks into thinking it was from someone else. Anyone who reads FedBlog and Government Executive.com as much as I do should know "DAN" would not make that statement. Although I diagree with "Dan" 99.99999% of the time, even he does not deserve somone else stating an opinion, then trying to deceive others into believing it was made by someone else.
Tom,
W D Jackson Posted Wednesday, October 1, 2008 9:21 AMI do not think, for a second, that you will print this but at least do this for me. See that both and "DEN KATTER" and Dan Ketter see it.
Nice article as for me. I'd like to read more about this matter.
PhillDoc Posted Thursday, October 22, 2009 1:18 AM