Posted on 08/11/2012 6:27:58 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
President Barack Obama signed a bill Friday evening that would exempt some senior-level presidential appointees from Senate confirmation.
Sponsored by Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and cosponsored by Republicans and Democrats, the bill, now law, weakens the power of the legislature and strengthens the executive branch, critics have warned. The bill skated through the Senate three months after being introduced in 2011 and was passed by the Republican-controlled House 216-116 in July.
The law now allows Obama and future presidents to name appointees to senior positions in every branch of the administration, from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security.
Conservative critics worried that the bill restricts congressional authority to monitor executive branch decisions, but the measure received bipartisan support because of the gridlocked, slow-moving Senate, which is known for being the more deliberative of the two bodies of Congress.
Whereas the House is a more populist body, the Senate grants more power to its fewer members. It only takes one senator to filibuster an appointee, forcing the majority party to find a “super majority” of 60 votes to end the filibuster and move ahead with an up-or-down vote.
The law now sidesteps that process, with Congress willingly giving up oversight of these appointees.
“The United States Constitution does not bestow kingly powers on the President to appoint the senior officers of the government with no process,” wrote Thomas McClusky, senior vice president for the Family Research Council’s legislative arm, in a memo to lawmakers last week.
The positions exempted from Senate confirmation include high-level posts like the treasurer of the United States and chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and mid-level posts like the assistant secretary for management at the Department of Education.
The bill also seeks to streamline the paperwork involved in a presidential nomination.
The 0 isn't worried a bit. If it appears he might lose in November, he will dream up some phony baloney scheme to invoke martial law and declare himself dictator.
I understand he has already told the military to prepare for killing US citizens.
Some of the bigger names: Cantor, King, Issa, Ryan.
What is this about??
This will come back to haunt them as the GOP appoints people that the left despises and they won’t have a say about it- not that this makes the dear leaders UNCONSTITUTIONAL bill any better- but apparently the dear leader can simply ignore the constitution and NOONE will call him to the carpet for it anymore- certainly the media won’t- nor will the GOP
I hope Hugo Chavez isn’t looking for a new job.
Why the hell did Eric Cantor sign this??
Well, it’s not a bad bill: the appointees it exempts aren’t very important. If the Senate wants to give up it’s power to approve these low level people so be it.
But...
What bothers me is that obviously the House didn’t say “OK Senators. And what are you going to give us for this?” Instead just letting it be voted through.
Anything Harry wants Boehner should make him pay for.
The Congress has a long history of surrendering Constitutional power so long as they are allowed to remain in power and continue to stuff money in their pockets. They don’t believe that the voters will ever do anything about it.
A better solution would have been to divide the minor appointed officials into cohorts, with an entire list of a set of these minor functionaries submitted to the Senate for approval. Most would get a pass and be on their way to greater glory as Administration lackies. But, any Senator could object and hold up the entire list until the offending lackey was either removed or presented to the entire Senate for confirmation. Republicans are so stupid.
bamey and his boys also got it outlawed to have any demonstrations near him or the other upper etchelon elites....and it passed as well....
drones....tsa at bus station....tracking of our internet....demanding that all new cars have trackers on the....
obscene...
Not good at all.
LOL. Yup. Keep voting in them Republicans folks, they’ll fix things. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Anytime the dems pass something, I worry. And when the pubs help them out, I worry more.
This kind of thing can get out of hand. First it starts with the lower level people. Before you know it, the Congress is totally bypassed.
Dick Obama is already changing laws without their help. And no one is doing a thing about it.
they might not fix things to your liking, but you KNOW that the Democrats will destroy the country if reelected....take your choice HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Looks like the legislature feels like they do too much work. This should give them more free time to go drink with each other and have some laughs — all at taxpayer expense, of course.
Sounds like this bill was passed to prevent the filibuster of nominees.
I wonder if the filibuster’s days are numbered.
Thanks Jet Jaguar
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
ping!
WHAT? WHAT?
No thanks. I'll be voting my conscience. I'm not playing their little fear games any more.
Vote for whomever you want, terycarl, but don't do it under the misapprenension that it will change anything about the direction this country is heading.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.