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>Why has the Biden administration not managed to install a new FCC commissioner Because Trump gutted the government so badly that it's taking years to do the c

>Why has the Biden administration not managed to install a new FCC commissioner Because Trump gutted the government so badly that it's taking years to do the congressional dance to approve replacements for many departments. Congress isn't helping either being basically a failed political body.

lesuorac 3y ago
Good thing that the Constitution allows for the Executive branch to immediately appoint and replace any vacancy while Congress is out of session for the summer. > Article II, Section 2, Clause 3: > The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. Too bad the Democrats are intentionally hamstringing Biden by pretending to be in session all summer long despite not actually working.
- dragonwriter 3y ago
  Were the Democrats to move to adjourn without a pro-forma session, every Republican + Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema would vote against it, since it would end-run their hostage-taking on nominees. (The GOP led House would also object, and their consent is usually required for a recess sufficient to trigger recess appointments, but that disagreement itself would allow the President to use the extraordinary, and never yet exercised, power of his office to declare an adjournment in the case of a disagreement between the houses of Congress on the matter, so while it would be a major escalation to bypass it, the House objection wouldn’t be insurmountable — the failure of a majority in the Senate, though, would.) (Still think they should do it, even though it would be a break from long-established [0] practice, but it wouldn’t have any practical effect other than setting up another debate for the next election.) [0] long enough to be a bipartisan norm, actually not that long in historical terms.

lesuorac 3y ago

Good thing that the Constitution allows for the Executive branch to immediately appoint and replace any vacancy while Congress is out of session for the summer. > Article II, Section 2, Clause 3: > The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. Too bad the Democrats are intentionally hamstringing Biden by pretending to be in session all summer long despite not actually working.

dragonwriter 3y ago
Were the Democrats to move to adjourn without a pro-forma session, every Republican + Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema would vote against it, since it would end-run their hostage-taking on nominees. (The GOP led House would also object, and their consent is usually required for a recess sufficient to trigger recess appointments, but that disagreement itself would allow the President to use the extraordinary, and never yet exercised, power of his office to declare an adjournment in the case of a disagreement between the houses of Congress on the matter, so while it would be a major escalation to bypass it, the House objection wouldn’t be insurmountable — the failure of a majority in the Senate, though, would.) (Still think they should do it, even though it would be a break from long-established [0] practice, but it wouldn’t have any practical effect other than setting up another debate for the next election.) [0] long enough to be a bipartisan norm, actually not that long in historical terms.