Kerby Anderson

President Trump has accomplished quite a bit in his six months, especially when you consider that he has had to do that without many of his nominees. As of late July, there were 256 nominations pending in the Senate. To put that in perspective, only 86 of his nominees have been confirmed. Not one U.S. attorney had been confirmed at that time.

The confirmation process is taking too long due to many factors. I suggest it may be time to reconsider the process of recess nominations. This is another case of Harry Reid ruling from the grave. In the last few months, we have seen the parliamentarian he chose deciding what elements could be in the Republican budget bill. His influence is also being felt when it comes to nominees.

The Harry Reid nominee blockade began in 2007 when he wanted to prevent President George W. Bush from using recess appointments. As Senate Majority leader, he decreed that the Senate was never formally in a “recess.” This prevented the president from appointing federal officers who can start serving immediately.

The Constitution states that “the President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate.” In the past, that was necessary because of the long distances of travel. There were times when Congress was not in session.

But now the Congress is moving at a glacial pace. It’s reasonable to acknowledge when Congress is not in session so that a President can put someone in a position. These appointments can only last until the congressional session ends. If the president made a bad choice, senators could begin a formal investigation of someone who was recess-appointed.

It’s time to acknowledge when Congress isn’t in session and allow a sitting president to fill significant vacancies in the government.