Mr. President, remove Kevin Jennings

Mr. President, remove Kevin Jennings.

I have joined with my colleagues to send a letter to President Obama asking for the removal of Kevin Jennings from the Education Department's Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.

As the founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Mr. Jennings has played an integral role in promoting a pro-homosexual agenda in America’s schools—an agenda that contradicts with the values we in the 19th Congressional District are trying to instill in our children.

As the “safe school czar”, Mr. Jennings is responsible for ensuring our schools and students are drug free. Yet, his own history of serious drug and alcohol abuse puts his ability to promote a drug free lifestyle for students in doubt. It is clear that Mr. Jennings is unfit to serve in this capacity.

Why wasn’t he properly vetted by the Administration? The more we learn about Kevin Jennings and other so-called czars, the more we question who these individuals are and what exactly they stand for. In the wake of these revelations about Mr. Jennings, the President should remove him immediately and suspend any further appointments of these so-called czars. Individuals who are not qualified for such positions should not be permitted to set policy that directly affects our children. President Obama should fire Kevin Jennings immediately and replace him with someone who has a record of educating children in a safe and moral environment.

We can all support the President’s right to have a well-honed team of serious-minded public servants to help him do his job. However, without a full, proper and public vetting, it’s clear that less-qualified and some with a conflict of interest are setting policy in America. That is why I introduced H.R. 3613, the Transparency and Executive Accountability Act. This would require that not only do Senate-confirmed nominees need to provide proper documentation and go through a thorough vetting, but also White House staff that advise the President on policy. By shining more light on who these people are and their role in the White House, the American people are in a better position to judge their qualifications and hopefully the Administration will take greater care with making these decisions. My hope is that this Administration will meet its promises of openness and transparency that Americans expect.