“They’ve been warned, and they’re being warned right now,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump is threatening to invoke a never-before-used authority to push through dozens of executive-branch nominees while Congress remains out of Washington due to the coronavirus crisis.
The move would likely set off a battle between the White House and Congress over the limits of presidential power.
Complaining that the Senate Democrats are using so-called “pro forma sessions” to prevent him from making recess appointments, Trump threatened to formally adjourn Congress and install his nominees without a vote. Those nominees could potentially serve until Jan. 2021.
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<p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>President Trump is threatening to invoke a never-before-used authority to push through dozens of executive-branch nominees while Congress remains out of Washington due to the coronavirus crisishttps://t.co/Zk5mZnn4Ed</p>— POLITICO (@politico) April 15, 2020
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"Third amendment cancel your weekend plans." https://t.co/dsPBHZpFx6
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) April 15, 2020
Article II of the Constitution gives the President the power to adjourn Congress if—and only if—the House and Senate cannot agree on a date for ending the current session.
But they have agreed—January 3, 2021.
There’s a reason why this power has *never* been exercised before. https://t.co/3536ThYuVT
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) April 15, 2020
Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Obama when he made recess appointments during Senate pro forma sessions.
— Jim Antle (@jimantle) April 15, 2020
Coronavirus death toll in the US rises above 30,000. https://t.co/o0TrzC9dAQ
— Breaking News (@BreakingNews) April 15, 2020
A motion to adjourn is subject to a filibuster. And I actually don’t see the Senate nuking the filibuster over this.
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) April 15, 2020
Can the President close Congress? It would take McConnell cooperating with him and ceding control of the Senate schedule to Trump, in effect. Obama tried to make recess appts over the Senate's objections that it was not in recess and lost at SCOTUS 9-0.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 15, 2020
There is no such authority, but about 60 million people now think there is and are rooting for him to do it. https://t.co/Eq4AJOWTmz
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 15, 2020
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