Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had a hard enough time getting President Obama’s executive nominees confirmed before Sen.-elect Scott Brown (R-MA) won his special election. Now, with Democrats’ supermajority erased, and Republicans happy to filibuster just about everything, Reid has a message for the White House: If I can’t work with these people, you can get it done, too.
Speaking on the Senate floor today, Reid outlined a way Obama can get his nominees situated, even if Republicans oppose them unanimously.
“There isn’t enough time in the world–Senate world at least–to move cloture on every one of these. We have spent all week–all this week–on two people,” Reid said.
“I have been someone…who has tried hard not to do–have the President do recess appointments. But what alternative do we have?” Reid asked rhetorically.
“We have on the calendar dozens of people who have been held up. Dozens. And I’ve only picked out a few. These are people dealing with the safety and security of our country. I think it’s just without explanation why this is happening.”
Brown will be sworn in today, in large part to block NLRB-nominee Craig Becker. And with the Democrats’ majority down to 59 in the Senate, they’ll also have a hard time confirming Dawn Johnsen to head the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. Obama has shied away from recess appointments in his first year in office. But with Republicans in full obstruction mode, and Reid practically begging him to circumvent the standard confirmation process, will Obama yield?
