Posted on 01/04/2012 2:30:51 PM PST by tobyhill
The Senate is famed for its long-winded debates, but on Friday it took Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown just seconds to stop Republicans in their tracks.
With the Senate entering the first day of its Memorial Day recess, the Ohio senator was briefly in the chair, before a near-empty chamber, to gavel in and gavel out what is called a pro forma session. Without that procedural move, the Senate would technically be adjourned and President Bush could install administration officials or judges as "recess appointments" — without Senate confirmation.
"That's the fastest I've ever done it," said Brown, who like other freshmen does duty as presiding officer when the Senate is in regular session. He said he didn't realize until he got there that the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, which usually open a session, were dispensed with for pro forma meetings.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
No, more proof Democrats are more effective and smarter than the weak, effete, Republican elite.
Very nice find.
“No, more proof Democrats are more effective and smarter than the weak, effete, Republican elite.”
The democratic elite want to win more power, the Republican elite want the power but are politically not in as well suited a position to grab more. Hence they are content to let democrats take power ever now and then to expand the pool of power for them.
All in Washington D.C. are corrupted by power if you ask me none of them can be trusted particularity the monster bureaucracy they created.
While I despise the Huffpo, here’s an article from 2007 with them crowing about Harry Reid blocking Bush and recess appointments. Today he’s FINE with President Obama making an end run around the same procedure.
Let’s hope we can make them truly regret this maneuver.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/15/reid-making-plans-to-bloc_n_72830.html
This act by the president is clearly unconstitutional. He does not have the authority to make such appointments unless the Congress, in this case the Senate, is in recess. He cannot determine what the rules of those bodies shall be. Mr. Obama should refer to Article I, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution:
“Neither House, during a Session of the Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.”
Since the House has not consented to adjourn, the Senate remains in pro forma session, holding forth at least two days per week. This undercuts the argument the president falsely offers, that a small minority of Republican Senators block his “wise and just” appointees from confirmation under the “advise and consent” clause by means of cloture Rule 22 of the Senate; the “filibuster”. In fact, his appointments are not occurring in recess by dint of a large majority blocking him in the House. He has provoked a Constitutional crisis as a means to campaign for reelection. Nothing is more cynical or dangerously dictatorial than that.
Good post. Thanks.
...are we ever going to start fighting back?
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