Yesterday President Obama named Richard Cordray director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CPFB) with what is called a "recess appointment" -- one made while Congress is in recess. He did this because Republican senators had blocked confirmation of Cordray, also a Republican and former attorney general of Ohio. They do not object to Cordray but to how the CPFB is organized. Its financing, for example, comes from the Federal Reserve, which means Congress can't exert pressure on the agency by controlling its budget.Read the rest here.
While this type of recess appointment is a common action for presidents, this one is fuelling a lot of argument because the Senate was technically still in session. The GOP senators, fearing Mr. Obama would do this, had been holding pro-forma sessions (pretend sessions where the Senate is called into session but no work is done). Senate Democrats used the same tactic during President Bush's administration.
The brazen disregard for the rule of law by this man seems to know no bounds.
1 comment:
There was also a pretty good article here on the constitutional arguments of all this pro and con.
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/06/10014126-obama-faces-constitutional-questions-over-recess-appointments
I think the problem at the end of the day is what this article talks about. The Senate decided when it is or is not in session; that's not for the President to say "Well, the senate is not really in session." That's awfully close to saying the President has the power to dissolve the Senate when he sees fit.
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