“The American people deserve better transparency into who is serving them in the Federal government, both in political positions and top career positions. This information is currently produced once every four year… the same way it has been produced since the 1950s. And every four years, it’s outdated by the time it’s published,” James-Christian Blockwood, executive vice president at the Partnership for Public Service.
President Joe Biden promised to have a Cabinet that reflected the diversity of the country. Kristine Simmons, the vice president of government affairs at the Partnership for Public Service, said Biden is the first president in modern history to appoint more women than men in his first 100 days.
James-Christian Blockwood, executive vice president at the Partnership for Public Service, also called on Congress to consider reducing the number of positions requiring appointment and Senate confirmation overall, as the sheer number often keeps agencies from getting or maintaining consistent leadership after each change in administration.
How does Biden’s flurry of activity in the first 100 days compare to previous administrations’? What can the numbers surrounding Biden’s media profile and popularity ratings tell us about how far he is delivering the “unity” he promised?
Joe Biden has ambitious plans for his next 100 days in office — but only if the summer curse doesn’t derail him. “Every president who’s smart focuses on a small number of priorities, their affirmative agenda and then they typically get knocked back on their heels by the world around them,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “The reality is that they’re having to fight fires on a whole lot of different fronts.”
#15: Senate Confirmations. Personnel is policy, which means that putting the right people in place is essential. The Biden administration is beating its predecessor by that yardstick, but that’s not saying a lot. Moving forward, Biden’s ability to fill these positions will not only set the pace for policy implementation; it will also serve as a barometer of bipartisanship, as senators weigh the administration’s goals and the nominees’ qualifications.
“It’s hard to move many things simultaneously through the Senate, and you have a president who is rightly first focused on Covid relief and next focused on infrastructure,” said Max Stier, who leads the Partnership for Public Service, which champions a more effective federal work force. “I worry that important issues like ethics reform don’t make the cut.”
By the numbers: Biden has only announced 10 ambassadors, of the roughly 190 open positions, including Linda Thomas-Greenfield as his UN ambassador.
A House lawmaker plans to reintroduce a bill that would reform the rules on acting officials serving in top federal roles. Max Stier also stated that reforms are “absolutely” still warranted. “I think that the challenges that we saw in the last administration revealed weaknesses in the vacancies act and therefore they ought to be addressed, whoever is president,” he said.
Increased levels of staffing, higher pay, and more opportunities for advancement and career growth are necessary to staunch the flow of talent heading out the door, said Kristine Simmons of the Partnership for Public Service.