Richard Cordray's uncertain future [View all]
Richard Cordray's uncertain future
By Steve Benen
President Obama made two interesting personnel announcements yesterday, nominating Mary Jo White to lead the Security and Exchange Commission, and Richard Cordray to
continue leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The former is fascinating in its own right -- White's legal career makes her an interesting choice for the SEC -- but it's worth pausing to ponder Cordray's fate.
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You'll recall that President Obama and congressional Democrats created the CFPB in 2010, over the fierce opposition of congressional Republicans and financial industry lobbyists. Elizabeth Warren, now a Democratic senator, helped establish the office, and Obama tasked Cordray with leading the agency.
But that proved to be trickier than it should have been. When Senate Republicans refused to allow a confirmation vote on Cordray's nomination, Obama gave him a recess appointment, along with new members of the National Labor Relations Board. This morning, a federal court said the NLRB appointments were improper since Congress wasn't technically in recess, and though the case didn't involve Cordray specifically, the court's decision creates some uncertainty about the status of his position.
While that's sorted out, the obvious question is straightforward: why can't Cordray get an up-or-down vote?
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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/25/16698683-richard-cordrays-uncertain-future
Appeals court: Obama's recess appointments to labor board are unconstitutional
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022258065