SR 109-08: Securing Our Elections Officers Amendment (Failed)

[Joseph Cao]

Senate Resolution

To amend the Constitution to make the Department of Federal Elections and Registrar General Constitutional Officers.

Be it Resolved in the Atlasian Senate Assembled, that upon ratification by 2/3rds of the Regions, the constitution shall be amended as follows:

The Securing Our Elections Officers Amendment

Section 1: The Departments of Federal Elections and Registrar General

Article IV, Section 4, shall read as follows:

Section 4. Elections Administration
1. The Department of Federal Elections shall exist for the purposes of administering Elections.
2. The Office of Registrar General shall exist for the purposes of maintaining the census list.
3. These two positions may be held simultaneously by the same person.
4. The Senate may regulate these entities through appropriate legislation.
5. Appointments to these positions shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article 4: Section 2, but the President shall remove said occupants of these offices only with the concurrence of a majority of the Senate.

This constitutional Amendment moves the origination authority of the Department of Federal Elections and the Registrar General from Presidential Executive Order to the Constitution, thereby eliminating the ability of the President to abolish these entities, assume them, or recombine them with another cabinet office. Further, it grants the Senate the power to regulate these offices through legislation, while restricting the ability of the President to unilaterally fire either the SoFE or the RG.

People's and Region's Senate
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Sponsor: North Carolina Yankee
Status: Final Vote

The gentleman from North Carolina is recognized.

[Joseph Cao]

Might need to update the other parts of the Constitution that deal with the Cabinet to note the existence of these exceptions directly. Will have an amendment in the coming couple of days, most likely.

Any updates?

I'm interested to see if this hypothetically gives the Senate the power to legislate further power over these offices for itself.

[Joseph Cao]

There don't seem to be "other parts" that deal with the Cabinet directly unless this is the section being referred to:

The President shall have the power, except where limited elsewhere by this Constitution,
to grant reprieves and pardons for crimes committed under the laws of the Republic of Atlasia, but the Senate may rescind such pardons by a 2/3 vote
to introduce legislation into the queue of the Senate and submit redrafts of legislation they have vetoed;
to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, the Justices of the Supreme Court;
to establish such executive departments as may be necessary for the execution of the laws, and to appoint their principle officers with the advice and consent of the Senate;
to veto acts of Senatorial legislation, and to exercise a line-item veto over the budget;
to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, the vice president in the event of a vacancy in that office;
to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Atlasia;
to make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate; and
to authorize limited combat operations without Senatorial approval for a limit of 90 days, with the required support and signature of at least two principal officers of the executive departments, and only in the case of emergencies previously determined by the Senate via appropriate legislation.

Which I think isn't incompatible with the current text of the amendment. Of course Sestak did help write the thing directly so if his suggestion happens to be something I missed an elaboration would be welcome.