Dems Work On Holiday To Prevent Bush Recess Appointments

Hoping to preempt President Bush from making controversial recess appointments, Senate Democrats decided on Tuesday that they would stay in session over the Thanksgiving break. The move ensures that the President cannot install several disputed executive branch officials in Congress' absence.

The pro forma sessions, which will continue through a week from Thanksgiving, will require several Senate Democrats to work through the Holiday break.

Those Senators, the Huffington Post has learned, are Sen. Jim Webb, D-VA - who stood session this past Tuesday -- Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-ND - who will work this coming Friday - and Sen. Jack Reed, D-RI - who will be on the clock both Tuesday, November 27 and Thursday the 29th.

"My hope is that this will prompt the President to see that it is our mutual interests for the nominations process to get back on track," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, said of the parliamentary move. "While an election year looms, significant progress can still be made on nominations. I am committed to making that progress if the President will meet me half way. But that progress can't be made if the President seeks controversial recess appointments and fails to make Democratic appointments to important commissions."

According to congressional rules, no legislation can be passed in pro forma sessions, but the Senate is completing its constitutional requirement to meet on the day following three consecutive days off. As reported by Carl Hulse of the New York Times, Sen. Webb stood in an empty chamber this past Tuesday for the duration of 30-seconds - enough to qualify as a Senate session.

The recess appointment Reid and Democrats are most interested in avoiding is that of James W. Holsinger Jr., who was nominated by President Bush to be surgeon general. Holsinger has a long history of prejudice toward gays and lesbians.

President Bush has used recess appointments in the past to get controversial figures into key positions. John Bolton, for example, was appointed to the post of ambassador to the United Nations despite not receiving the support of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Sam Fox, a donor to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, meanwhile was made ambassador to Belgium during a congressional recess.

Comments

[dr4Will]

10:17 PM on 11/24/2007

oh,poor bush can't put his jerk right wing fanatic friends in office--he's going to cry with Laura and the dog!!!

[Agentprovokatur]

07:22 PM on 11/24/2007

While I applaud the Democrats in the Senate for doing this I note from the stories elsewhere that this "strenuous" exercise in defending the Constitution from continual erosion and attack by the Bush Administration comes at the hefty cost of:

1) Putting on a suit
2) Showing up in the Senate Chambers
3) Banging a gavel to bring the Senate into Session.
4) Waiting 30 seconds and then banging the gavel again to close the session for the day.

I only wish they'd show the actual stamina that is needed to get legislation advanced in the Senate, which is to force the actual filibuster of their proposed legislation to curb the runaway Executive Branch instead of continually waving the canard white flag of defeat "We can't get 60 votes to call the question" B.S.

Grow some spine, show a little fortitude, brew some coffee and make the Republicans actually filibuster.

[Tator]

06:29 AM on 11/24/2007

Yes please keep doing what your doing. With an approval rating the LOWEST EVER RECORDED IN HISTORY and well below Bush's, please don't stop what you are doing. I am betting you Libs can get the approval rating down to single digits by spring.

[BrickSykes]

12:17 AM on 11/24/2007

Now You're Talking, Guys!

Wow...I'd love to read GB43's thoughts right now. I know he's steamed. These Senators' photos will be in the History books, that much is for sure. This is the kind of stuff that will get the American Public's attention.

Good call, Senator Reid, and all you other Democratic Senators "in the trenches!"

Brick

[rhdsma]

11:20 PM on 11/23/2007

Has this move by the Democrats caused Bush to get uspet and demonstate poor behavior at home toward his spouse and family? Is he crashing his Segway into the walls and furniture? Is he refusing to eat his peas? Does he stomp his foot and whine? Is he refusing to hand over the TV remote to Laura? Will Laura just just have to lock him in his room without his cookies and milk? I'd love to be a fly on the wall.

[Average]

07:15 AM on 11/23/2007

Democratic leadership==prevent anybody from doing anything while doing nothing themselves. Now THAT is a winning way to get votes for your party.

[cae]

12:21 AM on 11/23/2007

Thank you, Senators. Finally the Dems are seeing something through.

[GhostintheMachine]

11:11 PM on 11/22/2007

Dems and work a contradiction of terms

[calfacon]

10:47 PM on 11/22/2007

Thank you Senators Web, Dorgan and Reed. Now if we can just get some spine in the HOuse and Impeach Cheney. Impeach Bush

[lentinelia]

10:01 PM on 11/22/2007

There's a joke somewhere in the fact that 30 seconds is all that's needed to qualify as a Senate session.

[DatelessNerd]

09:24 PM on 11/22/2007

I hope this scenario is replayed at Christmas.

That way, the media can show the poor Democratic senator in his office on Christmas Day. They'll call him "Senator Bob Cratchit."

And guess who gets to be "Ebenezer Bush?"

Mommy, why does George W. Bush hate Christmas and Baby Jesus?

[kfdan]

08:47 PM on 11/22/2007

I'll support anything that stops Bush the Madman from doing anymore harm to the country!

[jsrl317]

05:09 PM on 11/22/2007

Well done Sen. Reid, Sen. Webb, Sen. Dorgan and Sen. Reed, well done.

Finally the Demos have listened and now understand anything less than hardball with the idiotic religious nuts in the GOP is the same as playing patty-cake with Al-Quaeda.

You must be tougher, smarter and faster. Now all you Demos have to do is reign in Feinstein. She does not represent our state that well and has to go. I will vote for any progressive Dem other than her. She is a traitor to the call and cause of the Democrats.

-J

[SunshineDaydream]

04:44 PM on 11/22/2007

share time:

If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
James Madison

The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war.
James Madison

The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.
James Madison

We are right to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties.
James Madison

Where an excess of power prevails, property of no sort is duly respected. No man is safe in his opinions, his person, his faculties, or his possessions.
James Madison

Wherever there is interest and power to do wrong, wrong will generally be done.
James Madison

[JackNasty]

04:02 PM on 11/22/2007

Congratulations: the Democratic leadership in the Senate is finally figuring out what it take to police a crook in the White House.