Presidential Nominee’s Bill of Rights

There is widespread agreement among Democrats and Republicans that today’s presidential appointees face a grueling process that can discourage good people from accepting the invitation to serve in government. More than 350 former appointees from the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations, including 19 former Cabinet secretaries, have signed a “Nominee’s Bill of Rights.” They are asking Congress and the White House to treat presidential appointees with fairness, courtesy and respect.

Four former appointees will talk about their experiences with the appointments process, explain why they endorsed the “Nominee’s Bill of Rights” and discuss what they think needs to be done to fix the process. The panel will be moderated by Paul C. Light, Brookings Vice President and Director of Governmental Studies and Senior Adviser to The Presidential Appointee Initiative, a project of the Brookings Institution funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.