Obama Bypasses Senate to Make Controversial Recess Appointments
- Posted on December 29, 2010 at 4:39pm by
Meredith Jessup
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President Barack Obama bypassed the Senate Wednesday to make six recess appointments who nominations had been stalled or blocked by federal lawmakers, including an assistant attorney general whose ties to insurance giant American International Group (AIG) drew widespread criticism.
Obama first nominated James Cole to the No. 2 Justice Department post in May. But Republican lawmakers blocked his confirmation in part because of questions about his role as an independent consultant for AIG before its near collapse and government bailout in 2008. Senate Republicans complained that confidentiality agreements prevented them from receiving answers about his work for the company.
Others, including Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the judiciary committee, raised questions about statements Cole made suggesting he supported trying terror suspects in U.S. courts rather than military tribunals.
Cole is a close friend of Attorney General Eric Holder and a partner at a private Washington law firm. His appointment is one of six Obama announced from his vacation in Hawaii, including ambassadors to Turkey and Syria.
Both Republican and Democratic presidents have made recess appointments, which circumvents the Senate’s authority to confirm nominees, when they could not overcome delays in the Senate. Obama signaled his willingness in the past to use recess appointments to overcome Republican opposition. The White House said the appointees he named Wednesday had their nominations pending for an average of five months.
The White House also announced Wednesday that Obama would use his power to make recess appointments to fill envoy posts to Azerbaijan, Syria and NATO allies Turkey and the Czech Republic. Recess appointments are made when the Senate is not in session and last only until the end of the next session of Congress. They are frequently used when Senate confirmation is not possible.
Specific senators had blocked or refused to consider the confirmations of the nominees for various reasons, including questions about their qualifications. But in the most high-profile case, that of the new envoy to Syria, Robert Ford, a number of senators objected because they believed sending an ambassador to the country would reward it for bad behavior.
The administration had argued that returning an ambassador to Syria after a five-year absence would help persuade Syria to change its policies regarding Israel, Lebanon, Iraq and support for extremist groups. Syria is designated a “state sponsor of terrorism” by the State Department.
President George W. Bush’s administration withdrew a full-time ambassador from Syria in 2005 after terrorism accusations and to protest the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, killed in a Beirut truck bombing that his supporters blamed on Syria. Syria denied involvement.
Obama nominated Ford, a career diplomat and a former ambassador to Algeria, to the post in February but his nomination stalled after his confirmation hearings and was never voted on.
The other Obama nominees announced Wednesday are Matthew Bryza for Azerbaijan, Norman Eisen for the Czech Republic and Francis Ricciardone for Turkey.
Bryza, a career diplomat, was opposed by some in the Armenian-American community because of comments he made in his previous position as deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs while trying to negotiate an end to the Nargorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The nomination of Ricciardone, another career diplomat who served as ambassador to Egypt during the Bush administration, had been held up by outgoing Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who had concerns about his work in promoting democracy while he was stationed in Cairo.
The nomination of Eisen, a lawyer who has worked in the Obama White House on ethics and reform, was being held up by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who said the nominee had made misrepresentations to Congress about the firing of a federal official.
The recess appointments mean the six people can serve in their jobs through the end of 2011, when the Senate finishes its term. A recess appointment ends at the completion of the next Senate session or when a person is nominated and confirmed to the job, whichever comes first.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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the point
Posted on January 2, 2011 at 10:55amWhat’s he going to bypass next…the Constitution ???
Report Post »eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on December 31, 2010 at 9:19pmCIA- Columbia/Obama Trails
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WedxY61d60
Report Post »eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on December 31, 2010 at 9:12pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WedxY61d60
Report Post »Callie369
Posted on December 31, 2010 at 11:20amdontbotherme said, “They should, if at all possible, be recalled in January.”
The CONSTITUTION states: “The President shall have Power to fill up all vacancies THAT MAY HAPPEN DURING THE RECESS OF THE SENATE, by granting Commissions WHICH SHALL EXPIRE AT THE END OF THEIR NEXT SESSION.”
With Whorehouse Harry leading the senate, nothing will be done about the appts. However, every position filled in this manner can be DEFUNDED by the House!
Report Post »Callie369
Posted on December 31, 2010 at 11:14amOK U.S. House of Representatives, time to do your thing. NO MONEY FOR AN EMBASSY, STAFF, OR ANYTHING ELSE. Let Dumbama play his games, 2012 is coming fast!
Congratulations Dumb and Dumber on another $1.5 MILLION DOLLAR VACATION.
Report Post »thetang
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 4:48pmThere he goes again,making the congress a nothing group of government officials! What a way to treat our elected? By partisant bullcrap,thats all it is?………
Report Post »JEANNIEMAC
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 4:42pmWhen Obama wants to sneak a controversial or unpopular law or czar past the American public, he does it on weekends, Christmas Eve, or other holidays. So much for his “transparency”.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 2:41pmThey should, if at all possible, be recalled in January. This president is assuming too much power. He has to be stopped. We have 3 branches of Government, not a dictatorship.
Report Post »capecodsully
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 2:22pmI’m surprised Obama did not choose Malik Zulu Shabazz for Ambassador to Syria, was he not available? Maybe he’s on the no fly list, seems Obama could get around that, he gets around everything else.
Report Post »BRUCEALMIGHTY101
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 11:32amget rid of the commie bummmmmmmmmmmmm
Report Post »BRUCEALMIGHTY101
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 11:30amAdd your comments
Report Post »BRUCEALMIGHTY101
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 11:18amlets face it obumma just a sneaky ba****D hees screwing up the dollar lookat gas prices wont let us drill killing small buisness too much govrment hees snaaking around every thing hees another chavez hitler to buisness hoow do we just get rid of the bumm too much goverment he invents deptarments
Report Post »let invent a obumma eraser
LukeAppling
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 10:46amWith Obama bypassing the congress whenever he wishes allowing EPA, FCC, TSA, and Immigration to ignore the p[people and put in their own rules should cause fright in everyone-how is this different than Chavez,Castro or Stalin?
Report Post »chuck_wagon
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 10:43amIs anyone surprised by this?
Report Post »Disabledvet
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 9:33amThat will be another big misstake he just made. The senate didn’t want who he picked, so hopefully they ram it up his back side when they get back.
Report Post »liedetector
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 8:59amAmen to Cykonas. The entire Congress is at fault. Legislation should be passed with specific conditions defined under which a President can issue an executive order. OUR? elected Senators and Representatives need to stand up and protect their own offices and The United States Constitution.
Report Post »cykonas
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 5:47amJust like with overspending, all recent administrations are guilty recess appointments. Obama has made a few more than GWB. The real point is that Presidents are using the provision more and more as a rule rather than an exception to enhance the power of the executive branch and erode the power of the legislative branch. It is the unbalancing of the intricate checks and balances built into our Constitution that we should be screaming about.
The recess appointment provision was meant for emergency situations, when Congress was recessed for a long period and a slot had to be filled. It was not designed to be used to bypass the normal advise and consent nominating/approval process.
How do we stop it? Write or call your two Senators and demand that they recall this appointee on January 3rd. Tell them you want confirmation hearings completed on this nominee, and any other nominees now. The Senate owns part of this problem too, because they stall the hearings sometimes. This guy Cole, for example, was nominated in May. Why can’t the hearing have happened? They need to complete the hearings in a timely manner in all cases. Whether they “like” a President or not, they need to do the job they are sent to do and this is a part of it. And when they fail to do their job put them out to pasture. Ours is not a complicated system, but we have to pay attention.
All of these folks, not just President Obama, are again “spitting in our faces” by showing their complete disregard for the Constitution, thereby showing their disregard for us.
Report Post »stopwhininganddosomething
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 12:52pmVery well said. I will be writing on Jan. 3rd.
Report Post »Anne G
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 5:14amTrying very hard to keep the faith, losing hope. Obviously, this country has handed over
Report Post »too much power to our Presidents. How do we take it back? Even the republicans don’t
want to do that. So scary.
freedomonly
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 2:10amIt’s time for Congress and the Senate to come out of hiding and demand that the three branches of government make decisions instead of the President waiting until they all have a vacation and then appointing people on his own. I think if this President doesnt know how the government should run then its time for him to go !!
Report Post »LKYPRL
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 1:40amHow can it be possible that EVERYTHING that this president does is bad for the Nation, unless, of course, it is being done on purpose. Please explain things to your lefty friends and family. Even if they don’t want to hear it…..we MUST educate everybody…..daily!
Report Post »wash1776
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 11:04amIf you can‘t see the harm he has done you have not been watching the news or are one of the people that doesn’t care what Obummer does to this country.
Report Post »Zombee
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 1:11amto·tal·i·tar·i·an
1. of or pertaining to a centralized government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life.
2. exercising control over the freedom, will, or thought of others; authoritarian; autocratic.
“Our Dear Leader” Obama is transforming his Regime into a totalitarian dictatorship . He has repeatedly used the executive power to circumvent the legislative branch of government and the will of “we the people”. Thereby denying every American citizen the legislative checks and balances as guaranteed by the U.S.Constitution. Obama has expressed his views regarding the Constitution as a flawed document and he is stomping all over it just like the photo of his buddy Bill Ayers. .
Lets start preparing for the 2012 shellacking today and restore the Republic. Long live the Tea Party!
Report Post »wash1776
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 12:51amThis traitor in the white house (black house because he is so evil) bypasses everything and everyone to get his won way. He is the crookedest, most arrogant, worthless piece of crap that has ever been in this office. When is the congress going to get tired of his end runs and put a stop to this jerks antics?
Report Post »tim151
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 2:59pmWhen the new House is seated, they can defund the positions. I doubt if even the left will work for free.
Report Post »FANGS
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 12:37amThis is just a show that obama’s not even thinking about leaning to the center.Ya know, at some point they’re all going to have to go.
Report Post »NancyBee
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 8:51amThe sooner the better!
Report Post »CuteGeek
Posted on December 30, 2010 at 9:03amI agree Fangs… There is no moving to the center with him…. and the sooner we understand that the better.
Report Post »*************************
Posted on December 31, 2010 at 3:32amIsn’t just PASSED TIME to arrest that Kenyan bastard (literally)? The Executive does nothing. The Legislature does nothing. The Judiciary does nothing. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE? (Don’t tell me. I know. The military, sworn to uphold the Constitution with guns.)
sheriff BART [on grandstand, to townspeople]: “Excuse me while I whip this out.” [reaches into his pants]
Report Post »[crowd gasps and screams]
[Bart pulls out paper to read]
[crowd sighs with relief]