did democrats show for pro forma session in august

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had threatened to send Obama’s most controversial nominees back to the president if Democrats did not agree to schedule pro-forma sessions, according to a senior GOP aide. Superior Court, the only judicial nominee on the list.

The chamber also confirmed Maria Raffinan as an associate judge of the D.C. The Senate confirmed Sarah Raskin to serve as a member and Janel Yellen to serve as a member and chair of the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve. The Senate approved 54 of Obama’s nominees late Wednesday evening, including a dozen ambassadors, 11 U.S. Obama had more than 110 executive- and judicial-branch nominees pending on the Senate’s executive calendar as of Wednesday afternoon.

Under the law, the president can only make a recess appointment if the Senate is adjourned for more than three consecutive days.īy scheduling pro forma sessions twice a week, lawmakers can take away Obama’s ability to make recess appointments. They are eager to get back home to defend their record to voters and they couldn’t do that until the spending bill passed. Senate Democrats struck a deal Wednesday night with Republicans that will keep President Obama from making recess appointments while Congress is out of town campaigning for the midterm elections.ĭemocratic 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.ĭemocrats agreed to the pro forma sessions to keep Republicans from sending Obama’s most controversial nominees back to him while lawmakers are out of town. Such a move would have forced the president to resubmit the nominees to the Senate and Democrats to start their confirmation processes (including hearings) all over again.ĭemocrats agreed earlier Wednesday to a Republican demand to cut spending levels for government agencies in order to pass a stop-gap spending measure.

Did democrats show for pro forma session in august