Posted on 07/12/2013 3:44:21 PM PDT by markomalley
If Harry Reid gets his way, President Obama won’t have to worry about appointing a new Homeland Security secretary that is acceptable to Senate Republicans.
Napolitano’s resignation from the department on Friday comes as the Democratic majority leader is threatening to invoke “the nuclear option” and change the Senate’s rules to allow administration appointees to sail through confirmation without threat of Republican filibustering.
Under that scenario, Napolitano’s replacement would likely be the first major appointment made in the post-“nuclear option” era where Republicans would have no ability to stop the confirmation of a nominee they find unacceptable.
“The selection of her replacement could be the first test of a scaled-back check on the President’s power,” John Ashbrook, a spokesman for Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, told The Daily Caller.
When it comes to appointing cabinet officials, the Constitution says the president shall nominate a candidate with the “advice and consent of the Senate.”
“If Democrats actually do the nuclear option, it would reduce the confirmation process to one party rule,” Ashbrook said. “President Obama could install controversial nominees with a complicit Democrat majority and no real input from the opposition.”
It was announced Friday that Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona, will leave office in September to become president of the University of California system.
The “nuclear option” means Senate rules would only require 51 votes to end a filibuster on administration nominees, instead of 60.
The Senate is currently made up of 52 Democrats, 46 Republicans and two independents, meaning Obama could nominate virtually anyone despite Republican opposition if all Democrats supported his pick.
Reid has argued the rules need changing because of Republicans are blocking too many nominees. “It is a disturbing trend when Republicans are willing to block executive branch nominees even when they have no objection to the qualifications of the nominee,” Reid said Thursday.
But McConnell says Reid has concocted “a phony crisis” over certain nominees in order to push through the changes.
“Senate Democrats are gearing up today to make one of the most consequential changes to the United States Senate in the history of our nation,” McConnell said Thursday. “And I guarantee you, it is a decision that, if they actually go through with it, they will live to regret.”
Don’t worry, the next time the Republicans gain control of the senate, they’ll change it back right away.
Do you suppose that Harry Reid knew that Napolitano was about to resign, so decided to change the rules?It might be worse.
Consider the possibility that the Administration has been given a "heads up" about a Supreme Court Justice retiring. Then the cheese would get really binding.
Doesn’t matter. 0bama can make a recess appointment anytime he feels the Senate is in recess, which is anytime.
Well who could be worse than incompetanto?
I wonder if the new secretary will be...... BLACK? GAY? or BOTH?
I under stand that Perez Hilton is being seriously considered....
You're not paying attention: When Democrats are the Minority, they run to the USSC with complaints of "Un-Constitutional"....When Republicans are in the Majority, they kiss the Majority Leader's ass, and vote with the other Side.
Thanks markomalley.
Reid sets up Senate showdown, calls for votes on seven Obama nominees
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3041815/posts
Harry Reid Moves to Destroy the Senate Rules that are Blocking Passage of Gun Control
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3041783/posts
Harvey Whittemore, former Nevada powerbroker,
guilty in (Dingy Harry Reid) contribution case
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3026553/posts
Ok, now I understand why the nuclear option story was floated yesterday...
But seriously, why doesn’t 0 just appoint a golf cart as head of DHS for all the opposition that anyone is going to give. It doesn’t matter. At this point, every move the regime makes is just a giant adolescent middle finger to the nation.
Oh Mitch,I think you protest too much,we all know what the Republicans would do with such a rule if they were to regain the majority in the Senate,the FIRST thing they would do is Change it back before they could use it,REPUBLICANS HAVE NO BALLS,yo have to hand it to the Democrats,they have as their goal to destroy the country and they set out to do it and they do! Republicans huff and puff and fold like cheap cameras.
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