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Trump makes presidential history: Avoids end run of Congress with recess appointments
Washington Times ^ | 11/28/19 | Staff

Posted on 12/20/2019 5:26:10 PM PST by Rebelbase

Ronald Reagan made nearly 250 recess appointments during his time in office. Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush made dozens each. George W. Bush made 171, and Barack Obama notched 32.

President Trump, meanwhile, stands at a big zero.

No other president has gone this deep into an administration without making a recess appointment. In fact, he is poised to become the first president never to get one — save William Henry Harrison, who died just one month into office.

Recess appointments are one of the more arcane presidential powers, but analysts said the breakdown of the process is emblematic of a broken Washington.

“It’s a very important presidential power,” said Hans von Spakovsky, a legal scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation who was the recipient of a recess appointment to the Federal Election Commission in 2006.

“The whole point of that authority was to be able to temporarily fill important positions in the government. If anything, that’s gotten even more important since our founding because of the huge increase of the size of the federal government, and it’s not a good thing to have all these empty slots.”

It has been nearly 2,900 days since the last recess appointment, dating back seven years to the Obama administration. That is by far the longest stretch in history, according to an analysis by The Washington Times.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: lindseygraham; maga; recessappointment; trump
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To: Rebelbase
it’s not a good thing to have all these empty slots.

Fixed it for him.

21 posted on 12/20/2019 5:52:11 PM PST by monkeyshine (live and let live is dead)
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To: nopardons

Well, I love the President too, and I don’t understand all of the procedures and mysteries of these ‘goings-on’.

But lately, I’ve been winning in so many ways - and I’m not tired of that, yet.

Let’s make sure President Trump gets a second term!


22 posted on 12/20/2019 5:52:54 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it")
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To: Vermont Lt

Right. Obama made a set of recess appointments although the Senate was not technically in recess in 2012. He appointed 3 national labor bureau people. In 2014 SC ruled it was illegal what he had done, though he was too late.


23 posted on 12/20/2019 5:53:45 PM PST by Engedi (ui)
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To: Rebelbase

This Congress does not trust this President.


24 posted on 12/20/2019 5:54:22 PM PST by nwrep
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To: nwrep

Maybe this Congress is full of frightened career nitwits who don’t recognize a Natural Man when they see one.


25 posted on 12/20/2019 5:57:21 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it")
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To: Trump Girl Kit Cat
The Senate does not go into recess. Every three days, a Senator opens a pro forma session of the Senate and then immediately closes it. For whatever reason, three days has become the norm to determine how long the Senate can be not in session and not considered in recess.

Anything more than three days, the Senate will be considered in recess and the president can make recess appointments.

This was tested and went to the SC during Obama's second term and the SC confirmed that as along as the Senate opens a new session every three days, then the Senate is not in recess. McConnell did this to prevent Obama from making recess appointments and is doing the same to Trump.

Often, the recess appointments have been agreed to. During W's presidency, he would send a list of proposed appointees to the Senate and if either party did not object, they would be appointed.

It gets a little more complicated if you have split chambers, since each chamber has to give the other permission to recess. So for the current Congress, the House would not give the Senate permission to recess anyway, so the issue is kind of moot. If the House flips in 2020 and McConnell will agree to recess, then Trump will be able to make recess appointments.

26 posted on 12/20/2019 5:59:54 PM PST by Dave W
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To: nwrep

They believed the fake dossier.


27 posted on 12/20/2019 5:59:55 PM PST by petitfour (APPEAL TO HEAVEN)
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To: grey_whiskers

Congress never formally goes on recess. Deliberately.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
I don’t think they can arrest anyone from Congress while in session.

That may be the same malarkey that biden is using to keep from being investigated?
And hrc....as long as her ‘hat is near the ring’ she can’t be touched?

Not entirely sure of that but I do remember that Fred Thompson was unable to campaign while Law & Order was still in ‘original/new episodes’.

I bring that up because it is hard to go to late night TV and not see a D candidate - including mooch & hrc.

‘They’ must have changed that rule after the Thompson fiasco....


28 posted on 12/20/2019 6:01:04 PM PST by xrmusn (6/98"HRC is the Grandmother that lures Hansel & Gretel to the pot")
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To: Engedi
Exactly. The Supreme Court shot down the profligate use of recess appointments, which is why Obama stopped making them, and Trump hasn't made any. Pretty pathetic for a news article to not even reference that decision.
29 posted on 12/20/2019 6:01:19 PM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: bigbob
It isn't that simple. First, government spending is increasing faster with Trump than Obama.

Second, these appointments are to high positions - not the worker bees. These are positions to heads of agencies or its deputies and often, there are people that need to be in these positions to approve rules and other things. Some of these agencies literally can't function without these folks.

Third, that is not always a bad thing!

30 posted on 12/20/2019 6:03:07 PM PST by Dave W
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To: Rebelbase

Hmmm.. Unfilled bureaucrat positions.

Don’t seem to miss them!


31 posted on 12/20/2019 6:04:05 PM PST by Fido969 (In!)
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To: Dave W
If the House flips in 2020 and McConnell will agree to recess, then Trump will be able to make recess appointments.

That is a big IF since the Republicans held both houses of congress for 2 years and Trump got zero opportunities for recess appointments. Paul Ryan was worse than McConnell since McConnell at least puts judicial appointments through, but both are against Trump.

32 posted on 12/20/2019 6:04:14 PM PST by Freee-dame
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To: freepersup

In August 2017 the RINO scum in the senate took steps to keep the senate from recessing to ensure Trump wouldn’t fire Sessions and replace him. Hard to believe, but absolutely true. F’n McConnell and his fellow travelers, still hoping to run Trump out of DC at the time.


33 posted on 12/20/2019 6:06:17 PM PST by hardspunned
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To: Mr. Blond

I doubt that very much. Congress obstructing.


34 posted on 12/20/2019 6:07:21 PM PST by NonValueAdded ("Sorry, your race card has been declined. Can you present any other form of argument?")
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To: Fido969

Hmmm.. Unfilled bureaucrat positions.

Don’t seem to miss them!
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Like ‘they’ say, the best way to get a count to see who is still ‘alive’, just have the Govt declare Essential personnel only report to work.

(hopefully) one of these days the bureaucrats will figure out that if one is not essential, it is ridiculous to pay them.

MAYBE PDJT should just threaten to ABOLISH all the positions they won’t let him fill.
Then start massive downsizing.

Anything to really get their attention....


35 posted on 12/20/2019 6:08:27 PM PST by xrmusn (6/98"HRC is the Grandmother that lures Hansel & Gretel to the pot")
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
The SC did no such thing. All they did was confirm what the republicans did was OK during Obama's second term. A Senator opened the senate with a pro forma session every three days and the SC agreed that as long as the Senate did that, then they are not in recess and Obama could not make a recess appointment.

If more than three days, then the president can make a recess appointment. So, recess appointments are OK, it's just that the Senate needs to go a minimum of 4 days without a session to be considered in recess.

36 posted on 12/20/2019 6:12:45 PM PST by Dave W
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda

[I think he is using his daughter and son in law because he is use to family members running his business, and he keeps appointing these losers because he is naive about just how corrupt Washington is, it’s unbelievable.]


I expect he does so because he can trust his kin to overcome their liberal views to do exactly what he tells them to do, whereas outsiders will not only obstruct his wishes, they’ll also leak against him. And to keep his kin in the administration, as opposed to returning to the private sector, he throws them a bone every so often. That’s what the amnesty for drug felons, family leave for Federal employees and $250m/year for HBCU’s were all about.


37 posted on 12/20/2019 6:13:13 PM PST by Zhang Fei (My dad had a Delta 88. That was a car. It was like driving your living room.)
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To: Freee-dame

Agreed. I don’t think Trump will ever be trusted and the Senate will probably never go into recess even if the House is republican.


38 posted on 12/20/2019 6:15:18 PM PST by Dave W
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To: Zhang Fei

Agreed. At least he can trust them and gives them a bone from time to time. Plus they do seem to be good...Kushner gets rave reviews from every group he negotiates with - at least from what I have read.


39 posted on 12/20/2019 6:17:23 PM PST by Dave W
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To: nopardons
"Another - I Love Trump, but.. self indulgent garbage here - post."

It's important to call Trump the worst if it gives you opportunity to point out your wisdom. TY!!

40 posted on 12/20/2019 6:24:02 PM PST by coaster123 (Those 40 or younger will meet horror before they meet death.)
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