May 27, 2011 1:04 PM

Senate GOP blocks possible Elizabeth Warren recess appointment

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
Congress

Panel Chair Elizabeth Warren (Credit: Getty Images/Alex Wong)
The Senate is technically staying in session - even though senators won't be doing any business - over next week's Memorial Day recess because Republicans want to prevent President Obama from making recess appointments, including the possible appointment of Elizabeth Warren to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Congressional Republicans, with the backing of Wall Street, have fiercely opposed the appointment of consumer advocate and Harvard professor Warren to head the commission she helped create. GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) accused Warren of lying this week in one example of the aggressive criticism of Warren from the right.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which does not come into being until July 21, is tasked with writing and enforcing some of the new financial reform rules and acting as a consumer advocate. Liberals, including Sen. Al Franken, have pushed for Warren to be appointed to lead the bureau. But a potential Senate confirmation battle was expected to be nasty.

In a letter this week, Franken called on President Obama to "use his power constitutional power to bypass Republicans and make a recess appointment" of Warren. Seemingly out of concern that the president could do so, Senate Republicans threatened to block adjournment.

All 47 Senate Republicans, led by Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking member on the Budget Committee, wrote a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid which stated they would block any recess adjournment resolution because Democrats have not offered a budget. As CBS News Congressional Producer John Nolen reports, they said the Senate should stay in Washington during the planned recess to work on the budget.

Another group of Republican senators, led by Senators David Vitter (R-LA) and Jim Demint (R-SC), wrote to House Speaker John Boehner asking him not to pass the Senate's adjournment resolution in the House in order to block any recess appointments by the administration.

In response, Reid agreed to schedule three "pro forma" sessions while the senators are gone, on May 27, May 31 and June 3. (The Senate must be out for four consecutive days for a recess appointment to be made.) Senators who live nearby will come in to open and close the session, but no business will be done.

Warren is a longtime opponent of unfair lending practices, and she is detested by many on Wall Street. Republicans like Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), ranking member on the Banking Committee, have been working to weaken the consumer protection agency and keep Warren from running it.

Republicans have introduced bills mandating that the agency be run by a board of directors as opposed to one person; that Congress control its funding, which would make it less independent; and that banking regulators have more power to overrule agency regulations.

"It's a horrible agency," Shelby said on the Fox Business Channel this month. "No accountability, vests a lot of power in one person. No accountability as far as money to the Congress, self-funding so to speak. And something's got to give."

Republicans have also expressed concern that the president would recess appoint Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board. The Senate GOP maneuver - which Democrats previously used to keep George W. Bush from recess nominations - keeps Becker, Warren and anyone else from recess appointments next week.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday he is "confident there would not be any recess appointments" based on his conversations with the White House. He said he couldn't say based on the talks whether Warren's name is no longer on the table.


Add a Comment See all 58 Comments
by Guitfiddel June 6, 2011 3:38 PM EDT
Right on MarineVet64!! Tell them like it really is! AND, Thank YOU SIR!
Reply to this comment
by Guitfiddel June 6, 2011 3:32 PM EDT
I'm not totally sure but, my bet would be if Republicans don't want Elizabeth to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau it kind of sounds like the "Wolves" don't want any "Sheep Dogs" gaurding the "Praire" to me. The three words I don't associate with the Right Wing and the Tea Party Republicans are "Honesty", "Compassion" and "Honor".
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by ammo17 May 31, 2011 8:27 AM EDT
someone has to watch wall street they are too close to the politicians in d.c..unless you want another bank failure as we just had,we need a woman like her who knows all the crooked ways our financial entities work inside and out.unless the republican party starts to champion the american citizen and taxpayer they are going to lose all the and probably more seats then they just won in the last election.the only way to keep our politicians in line is to be an independent voter,what they don`t know scares the hell out of them.
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by endurorob_5 May 31, 2011 9:22 AM EDT
We may need someone to watch wall street but we do not need a for left nut job. She would be more interested in pushing her failed liberal ideology than in sensible regulation.
by slatep May 30, 2011 2:21 AM EDT
The best President we ever had is Harry S. Truman.

He was the only one who had the balls to stand up to Congress and tell them what he was thinking, and it didn't matter what party they belonged to.

Look at his last name; TRU-MAN.

He was true to himself and the American people and didn't take any crap off of anybody.
Reply to this comment
by nearl451 May 29, 2011 9:11 PM EDT
There does, in fact,need to be a law passed that requires the Senate, while it is in session to "do work". If they cannot, then they....by definition..... are not in session.
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by slatep May 29, 2011 6:06 PM EDT
I just heard on CNN that Wall Street hates Elizabeth Warren and that the banks do not want her appointed because some of her proposals to protect consumers may interefere with their amount of profits.

ALL THE MORE REASON TO APPOINT HER.!!

Politicians, Wall Street and bankers are against her because her plan contains articles that would prevent another recession caused by a corrupt Wall Street and Congress, and we already know the bankers greed knows no end.

These entities are all for themselves, and to hell with the little guy.

The banks along with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and Wall Street; in an effort to steal as much as possible from the American people;
are the ones that are directly responsible for the jobless rate, the housing crisis and the outrageous amount of our national debt.

My brother; along with millions of others; lost his entire life savings, his IRA and his house when the banks crashed.

How did the institutions fare?

Obama rewarded them for their treachery with billions of dollars in bailout money.

Goldman Sachs is the biggest offender of all, but they still wanted to continue to pay their company officers outrageous salaries and bonuses.

Obama let them and others get away with it.

He paid them with my money and yours without even blinking.

I repeat, politicians, Wall Street and the bankers are terrified of this woman, because if she is appointed they may not get the opportunity to cause another recession if someone is watchiing.

APPOINT ELIZABETH WARREN, AND DO IT TOMORROW.!!
Reply to this comment
by slatep May 29, 2011 1:38 PM EDT
Staying in session over the holiday is a bald statement that Congress does not trust Obama.

In the aObama has used these recesses to appoint his Muslim buddies to various posts.

It's also very evident that by not filling such posts as FEMA and Homeland Security, he does not want what he's doing and not doing in these critical areas because he does not want them to be examined too closely.

After all the lies and broken promises during the campaign; it's no surprise that Congress and a large portion of the American public do not trust him any further than they could throw the White House.

His stubborn refusal to repeal or revamp the health care bill
is just one example of how it's going to be his way or the highway.

If the health care program dealt only with health care it would be one thing, but it includes items pertaining to college education loans etc, and gives the government the right to attach anything you own with no redress available.

I don't think anybody in their right mind is willing to go along with many of the "edicts" contained in this Bill.

It's Obama"s most blatant proposal toward Socialism and serfdom to date.

Obama is dangerous to the well being and continuation of the United States as we know it.

Congress and the Senate are not far behind.

Obama, Congress and the Senate are the homegrown terrorists that are trying to destroy our way of life from within.

The more power they get, the easier it is for them to take away our freedom.

Not too many people are aware that only 530+ people are in control of the entire population of hundreds of millions of Americans, and so far they are doing a ****-poor job of it.

If bi-partisanship and covering their own ***** were not so rampant, the people of the United States might actually get somewhere.

As it is now, we are paying for our own destruction.
Reply to this comment
by jimbom121 May 30, 2011 1:34 PM EDT
In the aObama has used these recesses to appoint his Muslim buddies to various posts.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Name one.
by vpcharan May 28, 2011 10:53 PM EDT
There is a simple solution for the democrats in the senate. Change the rule for requiring simple majority instead of 60 votes. Then, eliminate tax cuts for the rich if GOP does not cooperate. Fight fire with not water but with gasoline. GOP lacks morality and do nor care for the nation or its people.
Reply to this comment
by wfw3536 May 28, 2011 9:57 PM EDT
The women is anti business and if you watched the hearing she can't even give you a yes or no answer. Small business owners can't afford to have these folks running our country. Way isn't Obama more interested in doig something about China where they unfairly help their companies so we can't compete. All we hear from this administration is just a lot talk and no action.
Reply to this comment
by dzaffina May 29, 2011 1:03 PM EDT
the woman is pro consumer, she called the wallstreet collapse before it happened. i own a small business and would love to have her watching out us
by jimbom121 May 30, 2011 1:35 PM EDT
can small business afford to have Wall St running the country? How did that work out?
by justme2012 May 28, 2011 11:40 AM EDT
Once again obama trying to sneak in another socialist party member without them having to go through confirmation hearings.


If you want to live in France, vote for Obama.
Reply to this comment
by ToolMangler1 May 28, 2011 7:24 PM EDT
I agree with MV64, 100%
Start moving...
by dzaffina May 28, 2011 10:16 PM EDT
marinevet64 fought for democracy. how about you independent Tax Evading American Party member?
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