Cabinet picks clash with White House over hiring

Source: Politico | February 22, 2017 | Josh Dawsey and Andrew Restuccia

The Trump administration’s Cabinet picks are finding themselves in a staffing tug-of-war with White House aides.

The White House’s deep involvement in hiring decisions across the government is frustrating some of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries, spurring early tussles between the president’s advisers and leaders of federal agencies.

White House officials have sometimes rejected candidates who have previously criticized the president — even if they boast sterling credentials or have the endorsement of top Republicans. And they’ve often imposed their choices on agencies, according to more than a dozen people inside and close to the administration.

Many Cabinet nominees joined the administration believing they’d have wide latitude to pick lieutenants, but they’re beginning to realize Trump’s powerful advisers are looking over their shoulders. The White House’s approach has already slowed hiring — and the dozens of vacancies at key agencies could make it more difficult to implement some of Trump’s policy proposals.

So far, Trump has nominated fewer than three dozen of the 550 most important Senate-confirmed jobs, according to an analysis by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit group that advised Trump officials during the presidential transition.

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Priebus and his team have made numerous hiring suggestions at agencies, and prospective hires have faced serious White House vetting over their loyalty to Trump.

Several people who have spoken to top officials in the administration say they are struggling because talented people would have to take a pay cut to join the government, while others are skeptical of working for Trump. The White House’s involvement in hiring is adding to those challenges, several people with knowledge of the process say.

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Among the complications is the White House’s heavy hand with secretaries, according to several people familiar with the issue. The White House has created a new position, called senior White House adviser, atop agencies and in many cases installed top campaign aides in those spots.

“A lot of these special advisers are overwhelmed, because they have very little relevant issue area expertise and are sometimes way out of their depth,” one person involved in Trump’s administration said.

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