Not Tired of Winning Yet CVIII
For those of you unfamiliar with a document called the US Constitution, it reads, in part:
[The President] may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper
Presidents have the power under the U.S. Constitution to fill vacancies while the Senate is out of session, but the Senate can hold what are called “pro forma” sessions in order to remain technically in session, even though no one is present and no business takes place, thus blocking recess appointments.
Trump wants to use the recess clause to fill vacancies in executive agencies that have been largely neglected, allegedly due to Democrat malfeasance, hoping that if he cannot fill his cabinet and other top posts, his administration will fail.
Trump says:
“If the House will not agree to that adjournment I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress. The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis.”
My comment: Unlike Obama, who tried to make recess appointments when the Senate was in session, Trump here is acting entirely within the letter of the law. Indeed, he is the only president in my lifetime to do so. After so many lawless presidents, it is a great and deep relief to me to see one who actually respects the letter of the law and abides by it, but who is not foolish enough not to know how to use it advantageously when need be.
And the Obama partisans, whose master was too foolish and too lawless to do anything like this, and was slapped down harshly by the Supreme Court, sputter and vomit and can do nothing.
No, I am indeed not tired of winning yet.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
