President-elect Donald Trump says he wants to bypass the Senate so he can more easily get his most extreme cabinet nominations confirmed, but Americans disagree.
The Republican’s controversial idea of using recess appointments to confirm his choice for a two-year term has ruffled some feathers among lawmakers and voters.
In a social media post shortly after he was elected, Trump notified lawmakers and told them to “agree to the appointment recess,” clearly signaling that anyone who thinks differently is against the elected officials’ plans is president.
It’s an outdated feature originally created by the founding fathers for emergencies when Congress was out of town and lawmakers took days to travel to the nation’s capital on horseback.
The controversial power play would allow the commander-in-chief to bypass Senate confirmation when appointing people to his top positions in the government.
In recent decades, the Senate has never been on recess for more than a few days, because they had to agree on the moment of adjournment and they could hold ‘pro forma sessions’.
That prevents the president in power from making recess appointments whenever he wants.
But should Trump fail to gain traction, his most controversial nominees include Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services nominee Robert Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, and nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel, then he could try to circumvent them. the Senate.
However, among the 1,000 registered voters who responded to the latest DailyMail.com/JL Partners poll, it is a hugely unpopular plan.
President-elect Donald Trump has demanded that Congress allow him to use the presidential power of recess appointments. Many lawmakers and voters aren’t happy with the idea
Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth has faced turbulence as he tried to convince senators he is the best man for the job. If Trump is able to make recess appointments, he would effectively sideline the Senate from vetting his nominees
Trump-nominated FBI Director Kash Patel is also expected to undergo a rigorous vetting process
By a two-to-one margin, voters agreed that the Senate should not go into recess, regardless of whether it delays Trump’s appointments.
A total of 51 percent of respondents said the Republican should not use recess appointments.
Only 25 percent said if this means expediting President Trump’s nominations, the Senate should go into recess.
The survey also stunningly found that Republicans are even divided over whether or not Trump’s recess plan is the right path forward.
Republican Party respondents were at an impasse over whether or not the Senate should adjourn to help Trump with his plan; 41 percent were in favor and 41 percent were against it. The remaining 18 percent said they weren’t sure.
But Trump has demanded that he get his way.
“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted leadership position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we cannot get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social app in November, when elections for the chamber’s leadership were underway.
His post alerted lawmakers to his upcoming plans.
“Sometimes the votes can take two years or more,” his post continued. “This is what they did four years ago, and we can’t let it happen again. We urgently need vacancies!’
Recess appointments were last used by President Barack Obama in 2012 when he appointed three officials to the National Labor Relations Board without Senate confirmation.
Those appointments were later declared illegal by the Supreme Court in a 9-0 ruling that found that Obama appointed the officials while Congress was not technically in recess — they were only out for three days when he used the maneuver.
The ruling ultimately strengthened the Senate’s power over recess appointments, and if Trump wanted to take the same step, he would have to excuse both chambers for at least 10 days.
That would be a difficult task, given how easy it is for the Senate to hop on a plane and reconvene in Washington — something that wasn’t so easy when the Constitution was written centuries ago.
Republican senators have already openly opposed Trump’s nomination plans.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump greet each other during a campaign event in Duluth, Georgia, US, October 23, 2024. Kennedy could benefit from recess appointments if his bid for HHS secretary fails.
Tulsi Gabbard is also expected to face scrutiny during her Senate hearings in her bid to become director of national intelligence.
Speaking at an event last month, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told a crowd he would not agree to recess appointments.
The MAGA world expressed outrage and condemned the Kentucky Republican online.
“Message to the Trump team: ‘There will be no recess appointments,’ Senator Mitch McConnell said tonight at a meeting in Washington,” New Yorker writer Jane Mayer wrote on X.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said last month that he does not believe the president has the authority to suspend Congress and indicated he opposes the recession plan.
‘The doctrine of separation of powers is quite fundamental: three equal branches of government. One branch cannot claim the other two. “I think that would be the outcome,” he said.
Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said at the time, “I think it would be extremely difficult to get this done.”