House approves appointee orientation bill

DAILY BRIEFING

House approves appointee orientation bill

The House Tuesday approved a bill (H.R. 3137) that would provide better training for new political appointees when the next administration takes power.

The bill, which has four co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, would help appointees avoid the types of "missteps and outright mistakes" that new presidential teams have made over the years, according to Rep. Steve Horn, R-Calif., sponsor of the bill.

The bill would amend the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to help key administration officials quickly familiarize themselves with their new responsibilities and surroundings. It would authorize the use of those transition funds for a formal orientation process for incoming Cabinet members and other senior appointees.

Horn said the bill would encourage the orientations to take place during a period that would begin with the general election, and end 30 days after the new president's inauguration.

Molly M. Peterson, National Journal News Service, contributed to this report.