| Wednesdays with Audrey Hudson | 01.04.12 |  |
The White House confirmed today that President Obama fully intends to use the ongoing Congressional recess to appoint Richard Cordray as the first director of the controversial Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
So reports HUMAN EVENTS editor Neil W. McCabe, who adds this interesting tidbit — Congress is not in recess.
The non-recess recess appointment by Obama, a former law professor, was quickly condemned by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.), who said it represents a sharp departure from a long-standing precedent that has limited the president to recess appointments only when the Senate is in recess ten days or longer.
"Breaking from this precedent lands this appointee in uncertain legal territory, threatens the confirmation process and fundamentally endangers the Congress's role in providing a check on the excesses of the executive branch," McConnell said.
Republicans have successfully blocked the Senate from going into an actual recess since Christmas to prevent Cordray's recess appointment by Obama.
A president has the right to make recess appointments when the Senate is out of session, but Republican senators, led by Sen. David Vitter (R.-La.) have refused to grant unanimous consent to a formal adjournment.
White House officials said Obama will argue these "pro forma" sessions are an artificial device with no legal standing—and that the Senate was, in fact, recessed.
Interestingly, the White House launched what some predict will become a constitutional crisis, on Twitter.
"We Can't Wait: Today in Ohio, President Obama will announce the recess appointment of consumer watchdog Richard Cordray," said Daniel Pfeiffer, the White House communications director in a Tweet linking to an AP story on the announcement.
Capitol Hill sources told McCabe there was tension on the Senate floor Tuesday when the 2011 session was gaveled to a close, then just as quickly gaveled to begin the 2012 year, as rumors spread that the president would seize the brief intermission to make the appointment, during the actual recess.
Check out the rest of McCabe's story at HumanEvents.com.
—Audrey Hudson |
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