President Obama Defies Congress With "Recess Picks"

Obama defies Congress with 'recess' picks - Washington Times

 President Obama with Richard Cordray, the man Obama appointed to the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Last Wednesday, January 4, 2012, President Obama defied the Senate with his latest controversial recess appointment by installing three members of the National Labor Relations Board and a director for the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which amounted to an unconstitutional power grab.  The reason why it amounted to an unconstitutional power grab is because the president acted a day after the Senate held a pro forma (without any business transacted) session.  Senators from both parties have stated that it takes three days of recess before a president can use his appointment powers.  I don't know for sure how many days the Senate has to not be in recess before a president can act.  It probably depends upon Senate rules.  I should know but I haven't checked it out.  However, a president can't make recess appointment unless Congress truly is in recess for a length of time. 

Last year President Obama tapped Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordary to head the consumer protection agency and three others (two Democrats and one Republican) to the labor board.  Those nominations have been stymied by Congressional Republicans, who stated that Obama was accruing too much power from these agencies.  One of the problems with bureau is it leaves the agency with too much power concentrated in the hands of its director along with the fact that its budget isn't approved by Congress.  This is in violation of the Constitution of the United States because Congress is to approve of spending measures.  No government agency should function if Congress doesn't approve its budget.  Instead the president or the director of the bureau can determine how much money it wants appropriated to that particular agency.  It's also adding another layer to the bloated bureaucracy of government. 

Even though Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been complaining that Obama's move "arrogantly circumvented the American people", he hasn't done anything to stop this recess appointment from going through.  I have another question: What has Senator McConnell done to stop President Obama's socialist agenda?  He never staged a filibuster to stop Obamacare from being passed.  They speak of how bad Obamacare is but they never did anyting to prevent it from being passed in the Senate.   Since McConnell didn't stop Obamacare he isn't going to do anything to stop this latest move by Obama to allow Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Protection bureau.  It's a dog-and-pony show.  We no longer have a Congress that's relevant anymore.  President Obama or any president after him could commit acts of tyranny and neither Democrats or Republicans will stop the president.  Why have a Congress?  It's unconstitutional for the president to create a government bureaucracy out of thin air without Congressional approval regardless who's in charge as president.  No wonder why the government is in such debt.  The president can do what he desires and he won't be held accountable for it from Congress.  It's another agency that will probably cost billions of dollars and it will be worthless.

Cllick on the link above from the "Washington Times" to read the full story.