Posted on 07/22/2010 5:36:04 PM PDT by Nachum
Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts has just introduced an amendment calling for the Senate to declare the recess appointment of Medicare and Medicaid chief Donald Berwick “an abuse of power.” The nonbinding “sense of the Senate” resolution also calls on Berwick to appear before the Senate Finance Committee to answer questions.
The measure is designed to send a message to the White House that Republicans remain angry about President Obama’s decision to short-circuit the confirmation process, before a hearing was held for Berwick, and put Berwick in the job by recess appointment. The president blamed the GOP for its potential, but not yet actual, opposition to the nomination.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
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So I guess this UPI report from a few days ago was in error?
U.S. News
Obama submits Berwick for confirmation
Published: July 19, 2010 at 7:33 PM
WASHINGTON, July 19 (UPI) — President Obama, without fanfare, submitted Donald Berwick’s name to the U.S. Senate Monday for confirmation as the top Medicare and Medicaid administrator.
Obama had sidestepped the confirmation process two weeks ago when he appointed Berwick while the Senate was on recess for the July Fourth holiday. That bristled Senate Republicans.
Obama issued no statement with Monday’s announcement on the White House Web site that Berwick’s nomination as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had been submitted along with several others.
Just because NOW Obama is ‘sending’ Berwick for senate confirmation, does not mean he did not use abuse of power in the recess appointment.
He’s sending it for confirmation because otherwise Berwick will only be able to serve until January 2011. If he gets confirmed, he can serve until 2013. It’s unlikely that he will be confirmed if the GOP gets enough seats in November, so Obama is doing it now while there’s a Dem majority and a chance.
This doesn’t undo the recess appointment, btw, it’s just intended to extend it.
Sounds good to me. Anything that highlights Obama’s arrogance and abuse of power is a positive move. I guess I didn’t realize Republicans could be so proactive. May there be more of the same.
An abuse of power by the White House? Paging Louis Renault.
If Obama has enough Dems (prior to Nov) to get Berwick appointed for the full term, why use the recess option at all?
Good point. Unless I’m missing something, this is the wrong battle at the wrong time.
There is plenty to get angry about regarding Obama. A recess appointment is about the most constitutional thing he’s done yet, and as you said — it’s not even clear that he’s bypassing confirmation anymore.
“”A recess appointment is about the most constitutional thing he’s done yet, and as you said — it’s not even clear that he’s bypassing confirmation anymore.””
Not quite - Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution states that a vacancy has to happen DURING a recess!!
Look it up. Someone in Congress should be pointing that out - they are a bunch of lawyers, are they not?
Suppose it won’t matter now if he submits his name - possibly to avoid controversy over the appointment being unconstitutional???? Probably not - that doesn’t seem to bother him in the least.
OK, and when they were on recess, that’s when hte recess appointment was announced. Now that they are back, there’s a new report about a confirmation hearing. But maybe you’re right — changing reports so fast that it’s difficult to keep up with reality.
Just remember in talking of nobama and his demented ilk...they hate you and hate the Constitution. Hatred is their byword. nobama is a monster president. if the Republic survives these morons, we will all have stories to tell our grandchildren.
If a single concervative supreme court justice is forced out due to health reasons, then we’d have a major crisis on our hands.
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