Senate won't allow Obama recess appointments

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

President Barack Obama won't be able to make recess appointments under a bipartisan Senate deal struck Wednesday night.

Under the deal, the Senate will hold pro forma sessions - where the presiding officer will gavel in, and gavel out - so that the chamber technically will stay in session, even though legislative business won't occur until after the November elections. By technically staying in session about twice a week, Obama won't be able to use his constitutional authority to bypass the Senate and install political appointees temporarily during extended recesses.

Both sides got a partial victory out of Wednesday night's accord. It ensures that Republican senators can't send Obama's nominees back to the White House, which would have forced the administration to renominate the choices even if they were partially through the legislative process. Senators have the authority to send back judicial and executive branch nominees if the chamber recesses for more than 30 days, and doing so would have angered Democrats trying to shepherd through a slew of stalled Obama nominees.

And Republicans scored a victory by ensuring Obama can't make recess appointments before the Senate returns for official business November 15.

After he became majority leader in 2007, Sen. Harry Reid began employing the practice to stop President George W. Bush from making recess appointments. Even though Reid stopped scheduling pro forma sessions in 2009 when Obama took office, some of the president's recess appointments - namely Don Berwick to head Medicare and Medicaid programs and Craig Becker to serve on the National Labor Relations Board - sparked fierce GOP outcry.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42934.html#ixzz117Mxdegl

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Yeah, I remember Reid doing that ####### and then stopping it. It's political hackery at its best and just shows the scum of the earth that Harry Reid is.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Yeah, I remember Reid doing that ####### and then stopping it. It's political hackery at its best and just shows the scum of the earth that Harry Reid is.

+nope

[Pooky 3,787]

+nope

Sorry, Boss, but Dingy Harry is a weasel of the first order. He has trouble with the truth, he has trouble remembering what he stands for and he plays political games with important legislation. The man has to go.