Posted on 02/12/2010 3:58:19 AM PST by tobyhill
President Barack Obama dropped his threat to bypass the Senate and install nominees to their positions through recess appointments -- at least for now.
Recess appointments can be made while the Senate is out of session and are a way for presidents to get around the need for a confirmation vote. The president said in a statement Thursday evening that he is encouraged by confirmation earlier in the day of 27 high-level nominees.
On Tuesday, Obama threatened to make the recess appointments to get around senators who had placed "holds" on his nominees, which prevent, or at least delay, the Senate from moving forward with nominations. By the White House’s count, at the start of the week, 63 nominees had been stalled with holds.
At a meeting with top congressional leaders on Tuesday, Obama told Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that he would use his recess appointment power if Republican senators did not release their holds.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
That was my first response, too. But I was told that Reid sets the “whens” of Senate being in session, so if he doesn’t support the effort, then the Senate isn’t in session and there can be no block.
Intend to research if that’s true.
Only the majority can pull that off. It only takes a majority to adjourn.
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