Mike Thompson: “I stand to be corrected if I can be. We are setting up something here that we have never tried before. We are…”

“I stand to be corrected if I can be. We are setting up something here that we have never tried before. We are experimenting in a way in which we should not be experimenting. Why do I say that? I say that because we have never had a situation in the highest levels of government where we had a department with clearly defined responsibilities for an area of government and a White House entity that is Senate confirmed with decertification authority over the budget that pertains to that Secretary. If there is another situation like that in the history of the Government, I will acknowledge it and stand corrected. Reference has been made to the drug czar. He is Senate confirmed. He has decertification authority. But there wasn't a department such as the one we are in the process of creating.”