McCain and Feingold seek cap on number of presidential appointees

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) are teaming up again, to try to cap the number of political appointees the president is allowed to make.

McCain and Feingold, who joined together in 2002 to craft and pass landmark campaign finance reform legislation, introduced legislation that would reduce the number of appointments to the executive branch a president is allowed to make.

The two senators want to cap the number of political appointees to 2,000 positions, a move they said would save $872 million over the next 10 years.

"Unnecessary bureaucratic positions not only waste taxpayer dollars, but also make government less effective and less responsive to the people it represents," Feingold said in a statement. "In the face of record deficits, this bill offers a good way to save while improving the way government works."

“In this time of economic crisis, we must do everything possible to eliminate waste and make the federal government smaller and more efficient,” McCain added. “This bill is simple - it will save money and result in a more streamlined Executive Branch.

The two senators have introduced similar legislation before, but both of them are potentially facing their most difficult reelection battles to date this fall. McCain is trying to fend off former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) in a conservative primary challenge, while Feingold faces the specter of a tough challenge from former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R), if Thompson, also a former secretary of Health and Human Services, gets in the race.