House panel chairman hopes for Carol Browner testimony

Stearns was less clear about whether the panel would seek to have Browner appear after she left the White House. A White House official on Monday did not say when Browner was leaving, noting instead that she would “stay on as long as necessary to ensure an orderly transition.”

Browner has attracted criticism from Republicans on a number of fronts, in part because she’s one of President Obama’s “czars,” high-level policy advisors who are not confirmed by the Senate.

Critics say that czars are a way to wield executive power outside of Capitol Hill oversight and the federal agency structure. Czars are common targets of conservative ire, though presidents from both parties have surrounded themselves with them.

Republican critics have also pointed to her role in shaping the White House’s climate change agenda. Cap-and-trade bills, which have sputtered in Congress, and Environmental Protection Agency plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions have attracted frequent GOP attacks.

Stearns did not provide specifics about his rationale for a hearing, but noted broadly that there are areas that Browner “would probably like to clarify, too.”

“In some of the areas, there has been some controversy … I think it would be to her advantage to clarify before she leaves. And that’s the case I’d make to her,” Stearns said.

“She is still over there working,” he noted. “I think if we sent her a notice to come in, I think she might.”