No business was conducted, and no member besides Cornyn bothered showing up. Thursday, gave the gavel a closing bang, and made for the door.Īll told, Monday’s session lasted a whopping 35 seconds. And with that, Cornyn declared the body adjourned until 11 a.m. The lanky, bespectacled clerk rose and delivered a one-sentence order appointing Cornyn chairman for the day. on the dot, he gaveled the empty room to order, and, per the short script someone had thoughtfully left him, directed the legislative clerk to read “a communication to the Senate” from Senate president pro tempore Orrin Hatch. Charcoal suit sharp, white hair gleaming, the Republican whip greeted the assembled few as he made his way to the presiding officer’s chair. Just before the hour, Senator John Cornyn of Texas sauntered in. Then everyone sat around chatting, as a few more tourists trickled into the upper decks. neared, the parliamentarian, two clerks, and a couple of other Senate officers took their places at the front of the empty chamber. Kerry during the 2004 presidential race.But not everyone was out enjoying the recess. Louis businessman was blocked by Democrats because of his $50,000 contribution to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which attacked Democratic nominee John F. One of the more controversial Bush recess appointments was that of Sam Fox to be ambassador to Belgium. Confirmation is also pending for Michael Leiter, named director of the National Counterterrorism Center.Ĭlinton drew the ire of Republicans in 1999 when he used a recess appointment to sidestep GOP opposition to San Francisco philanthropist and gay activist James Hormel becoming ambassador to Luxembourg. They include Environmental Protection Agency general counsel-nominee David Hill Robert Sturgell, named to head the Federal Aviation Administration and Kerry Weems, nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She said some 240 executive branch and judicial appointments are pending. White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore said it was “appalling” that in the midst of a housing crisis “that the majority leader let an unrelated dispute stand in the way” of getting a new housing secretary on the job. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who was nominated to the board of the United States Institute of Peace. It was personally important to one of our senators.” He was referring to Kerry Kennedy, niece of ailing Sen. Reid said Democrats had rushed through the confirming of Republican-backed nominees “because we wanted one Democrat approved. There is no fault on behalf of the Democrats,” said Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). These people are not going to have their jobs. Late Thursday the Senate was primed to confirm some 80 nominees, mostly ambassadors and military officers but including Housing and Urban Development Secretary-nominee Steven Preston, when a Democrat-White House deal fell through amid mutual recriminations. The confirmation process can often get bitter when the White House and the Senate are controlled by different parties. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) will do his few seconds’ worth. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who also got pro forma duty over the New Year’s holiday because he lives nearby, will take the chair. The mini-sessions must be held every three days to keep the Senate from officially going into recess. A recess appointee is allowed to serve until the end of the congressional session, which in this case coincides with the end of the Bush presidency. Bush had 77 in his four years and Ronald Reagan 243 in his eight years in office. That’s when Democrats started blocking them with pro forma sessions.īy comparison, former President Clinton had a total of 140 recess appointments over eight years, George H.W. “We’re not going to let them get away with that kind of abuse of power.”Īccording to numbers provided by the Senate historian’s office, Bush had made 165 recess appointments by last fall. “I’m willing to do it,” Brown said of showing up when nearly every senator has already left town. He said he didn’t realize until he got there that the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, which usually open a session, were dispensed with for pro forma meetings. “That’s the fastest I’ve ever done it,” said Brown, who like other freshmen does duty as presiding officer when the Senate is in regular session. Without that procedural move, the Senate would technically be adjourned and President Bush could install administration officials or judges as “recess appointments” - without Senate confirmation. With the Senate entering the first day of its Memorial Day recess, the Ohio senator was briefly in the chair, before a near-empty chamber, to gavel in and gavel out what is called a pro forma session.
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