Federal Hurricane Recovery Coordinator: Appointment and Oversight Issues

RS22334 -- Federal Hurricane Recovery Coordinator: Appointment and Oversight Issues

November 28, 2005

Summary

On November 1, 2005, President George W. Bush issued an executive order directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a new position that would coordinate federal Gulf Coast recovery and rebuilding efforts.(1) The executive order specifies that this official "shall be selected by the President and shall be appointed by and report directly to the Secretary." Subsequently, the President selected then-Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Board of Directors Chair Donald Powell for the new position, and Secretary Michael Chertoff formally appointed him. This method of establishing and making an appointment to a departmental position is unusual, and it may conflict with the constitutional role of Congress in the appointment and oversight processes. This report will not be updated.