Erik L
08-02-2012, 02:06 AM
From what I can tell, S 679, or the "Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011", allows more minor Presidential appointees to become approved without Senate consent, ostensibly in order to fix the Senate's large backlog.
News article: http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/31/house-to-consider-eliminating-senate-confirmation-for-presidential-appointees/
Text of bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:3:./temp/~c112fBs2EW:e396:
House vote: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll537.xml
Senate vote: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00101
Article II Section II of the Constitution states:
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
As one can see by the vote, it was split among Republicans but unanimous among Democrats. I've emailed my Democratic Senator who voted for the bill and explained why giving power to a president that he agrees with also gives the power to presidents that he disagrees with (and thus, his vote was short sighted).
News article: http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/31/house-to-consider-eliminating-senate-confirmation-for-presidential-appointees/
Text of bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:3:./temp/~c112fBs2EW:e396:
House vote: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll537.xml
Senate vote: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00101
Article II Section II of the Constitution states:
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
As one can see by the vote, it was split among Republicans but unanimous among Democrats. I've emailed my Democratic Senator who voted for the bill and explained why giving power to a president that he agrees with also gives the power to presidents that he disagrees with (and thus, his vote was short sighted).