Obama Criticized for Recess Appointment

(Newsroom America) -- President Obama is being slammed by Republican leaders over what they contend was his unconstitutional recess appointment of of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head up the controversial new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Obama said he made the appointment under his authority as head of the Executive branch after the Senate, which is supposed to provide advice and consent of such appointments, recessed for the holidays.

Republican leaders, however, said the Senate still considered itself in session, even though individual senators have not been in Washington, D.C., over the holidays.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said the Senate despite that the president, "in an unprecedented move, has arrogantly circumvented the American people."

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio added, "The precedent that would be set by this cavalier action would have a devastating effect on the checks and balances that are enshrined in our Constitution."

The Washington Times reported that in making the appointment, Obama violated the precedent set by former President Clinton and the precedent Obama and his fellow Democrats set under President George W. Bush in 2007 and 2008.

On Nov. 16, 2007, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he was keeping "the Senate in pro forma to prevent recess appointments until we get this process back on track." He went on to announce a strategy of having the Senate convene twice a week for pro forma sessions, the Times said, a strategy that was backed then by Obama.

Obama defended his actions as legal and said he was tired of waiting for Republicans to act.

"I refuse to take ‘No’ for an answer," he said in a statement. "I’ve said before that I will continue to look for every opportunity to work with Congress to move this country forward. But when Congress refuses to act in a way that hurts our economy and puts people at risk, I have an obligation as president to do what I can without them."

Obama plans to introduce Cordray during a campaign stop in Ohio Thursday.

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