Senate blocks recess appointments with deal between Dems, GOP

[jaysunb]

Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday night to a Republican demand to block President Obama from making recess appointments while Congress is out of town campaigning for the midterm elections.

Democratic leaders have agreed to schedule pro-forma sessions of the Senate every week over the next six weeks, a move that will prevent Obama from making emergency appointments, according to Senate sources briefed on the talks.



Democrats agreed earlier in the day to a Republican demand to cut spending levels for government agencies in order to pass a stop-gap spending measure.

more:http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/121775-senate-blocks-recess-appointments

I know there's probably some good explanation for this, but it still stinks. :evilfrown:

[yurbud]

1. because of course the Republicans would ever return the favor...

[Angry Dragon]

2. When the republicans have the majority they

do what they want
When the democrats have the majority they ask the republicans
what they can do for them

[Radical Activist]

4. Bush always had the help of certain Democratic Senators.

Those are the same ones blocking Obama now. Useless dildos.

[Angry Dragon]

9. Dildos are not useless

they are more like a handless circle jerk

[Radical Activist]

11. lol

Good comparison. The batteries have run out on these guys.

[laughingliberal]

Yep. nt

[Radical Activist]

3. Are they going to pass a climate change bill during those sessions?

Seriously, Senate Democrats are bringing down the entire party and Obama's presidency. Reid needs to be booted the fuck out as majority leader.

[Newsjock]

5. They really do deserve to lose control at this point

And, given their actions, I can only assume that's what they want. Senatorizing is tough work, as the smirking one would say.

[kristopher]

6. No they don't, they DESERVE a LARGER majority so that the dildoes are neutered

[Dawson Leery]

10. The Ben Nelson's and Evan Bayh's are but impediments to progress.

[kristopher]

13. That's right, so let's get a couple more liberals elected BY VOTING and working to GET OUT THE VOTE

[neverforget]

7. Spineless bastards

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. With friends like this, who needs enemies, indeed.

I have been saying, don't listen to what they say, watch what they do.

what did you just see?

[rpannier]

12. There is a very good reason

They're a bunch of incompetent, stumble-bums.

[BzaDem]

14. While at first I thought it was an idiotic move, after reading, I think it makes sense now.

In the Senate, unless Reid had unanimous consent, all pending nominees would be returned to the Whitehouse. That means Obama would have to appoint them all over again (easy), and they would have to have hearings and committee votes again as well (much more time consuming). If the latter happened, the nominees would likely not even be eligible for a floor vote for the remainder of this Congress.

With this deal, they will not have to be renominated. Instead, they will remain eligible for a floor vote as soon as they have floor time. So some of them will get through now in the lame duck (as opposed to none of them in the previous scenario).

What does Obama lose here? The ability to make a recess appointment for the next five weeks. But that's not a huge deal, because Obama can STILL make recess appointments at the end of the lame duck session, and there's nothing the GOP can do about it.

[jaysunb]

17. Thank you for this

I knew (hoped) there was a reasonable explanation. Thank you !

[gkhouston]

18. Actually, the GOP could continue to stall, but it's not like we'd be much worse off.

Since this Congress is almost over, anyone appointed now wouldn't have much time to do anything.

[Obamanaut]

15. There will be words expressing dissatisfaction with congress (members

in general), but most of the incumbents seeking reelection will be successful, because we tend to vote for 'the name you know.'

They know it, so they don't worry too much about disgruntled citizens.

[mmonk]

16. Will liberals or "left" get the blame on this as well?