DOT Top Jobs Remain Open Awaiting Action By Bush, Hill

Six months into the Bush administration, 14 of 17 top political positions in the Department of Transportation remain unfilled, including the post of administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Observers interviewed by Transport Topics attributed the delay in filling vacancies to the candidate screening process, known as vetting. The process has grown longer with each administration, they said, as nominees are required to complete financial disclosure and national security forms and also pass a Federal Bureau of Investigation check that can go as far back as a nominee’s high school days.

Spokesmen for several congressional committees and the Presidential Appointee Initiative, which examines the appointment process, said the process may have discouraged some candidates from taking government jobs.

For the full story, see the June 25 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

John Wislocki

i>Staff Reporter

News Update: Bush to Nominate Blakey As NTSB Head