Reid to Keep Senate in Session to Prevent Recess Appointments

Roll Call ^ | 16 Nov 07 | Erin P. Billings

[seanmerc]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has decided to keep the chamber in session over the Thanksgiving break to block President Bush from making any unsavory recess appointments while Senators are out of town.

[NYFriend]

But can they be “in session” and not taking up business? At 3 in the morning, they aren’t doing business, but the President doesn’t get to make recess appointments. I think it’s just procedural, and a matter of not gaveling out.

[Miss Didi]

Oh, you’re bad!

[66-442hot]

Just how many senators are out on the campaign trail right now?

Looking at their own RULE 2 - have they taken leave to campaign?

Makes a guy wonder what those rules are there for???

(besides to be broken)

[deport]

“With the Thanksgiving break looming, the administration informed me that they would make several recess appointments,” Reid said. “I indicated I would be willing to confirm various appointments if the administration would agree to move on Democratic appointments.

“They would not make that commitment.”

---

It has been normal protocol for the WH to let the Senate leaders know that he was going to make recess appointments and who the would be. Apparently this was done for this upcoming break and Reid isn’t in agreement on some of them and also wants some democrat appointees approved to some executive branch departments.

This sounds like a neogiating ploy by Reid...... we’ll see.

[uncbob]

I think this is going to be a virtual “session” in which all the Senators will go home and just leave a light on in the meeting chamber.

Send Cheney in to call for a Quorum

[casino66]

This is their schedule for:

Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007

9:00 a.m.: Convene for a pro forma session only.

They will just open and close(adjourn) each day and eliminiate saying they are in recess. Sorry for the person that has to do it. CSPAN employees may like the extra pay.

[Carolinamom]

Wouldn’t that poor woman clerk who calls the roll be required to be on duty all the time.....no holiday for HER and her family? (Does Saturday and Sunday also count for Congress still being in session?)

[ProtectOurFreedom]

They could pass military funding, vote on judges ... open ANWR and new offshore areas for drilling, too? Oh boy!

[deport]

Reid is threating to hold the Senate in pro forma session in which no business is conducted. Remember almost nothing gets done in the Senate without unamimous consent and the Majority Leader basically controls what is allowed to come to the floor. If nothing is schedule then no actions will occur the floor.

This is going to force the House to make arrangements also.

From the Senate Web site:
pro forma session - A brief meeting (sometimes only several seconds) of the Senate in which no business is conducted. It is held usually to satisfy the constitutional obligation that neither chamber can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other

[Rumplemeyer]

This will work until...Teddy needs a drink, Harry needs the bathroom, “Sheets” needs a nap and the balance of these bozo’s forget what they were doing...go ahead boy’s make fools of yourselves again.

[spokeshave]

Where is the Tar and Feather brigade?

[jmaroneps37]

They are still rolling down hill. They can not possibly start back up until they stop rolling down. Single digits here we come!

[tcrlaf]

The REpubs should ask for a quorum call on Saturday Afternoon, then move to adjourn..

[deport]

Wouldn’t that poor woman clerk who calls the roll be required to be on duty all the time.....no holiday for HER and her family?

---

When you make the big bucks you sometimes have to be inconvenienced.... lol

Their rules are very tedious and I’d have to go look them up regarding days etc. However they can operate on what is called a ‘legislative day’ and that can extend beyond what we would consider a 24 hour day. Also they can go into recess for some period of time subject to call, etc.

This may occur but I think Reid is trying to negotiate some other appointments with the WH. If it does occur it won’t be nothing more than perfunctory actions to satisfy the requirements of the rules.

[infidel29]

Good, stay in session. I only get Thanksgiving Day off, why the hell should these overstuffed turkeys get more than that anyways?

[thulldud]

Now, Teddy’s a quorum all by himself.

[houston1]

They apparently only need to call a pro-forma quorum every 3 days to be considered in session, which would prevent any recess appointments. If they knew about this before I’m surprised they didn’t use it to block earlier recess appointments.

[goldstategop]

Dingy Harry: The Dingbat Who Stole Thanksgiving

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Norman Bates]

ROFL! Could that work? Could Cheney call one and then declare the Senate adjurned de facto when no one shows?

[itsahoot]

Bush should just let Reid know that, if Reid does this, Bush is prepared to call a special session of Congress to keep them in session all the way through January 2009.

That would require a set of gonads that the president has kept well hidden when dealing with these Dimmies.