Politics
Obama bypasses senate, names Richard Cordray head of new consumer watchdog
Added the Republican leader of the House, Speaker John Boehner: “It’s clear the president would rather trample our system of separation of powers than work with Republicans to move the country forward. This action goes beyond the president’s authority, and I expect the courts will find the appointment to be illegitimate.”
By his move, Obama essentially is declaring the Senate’s short off-and-on legislative sessions a sham intended to block his appointments.
Yet it was his own Democratic party that started the practice.
The White House braced for fallout, but said Obama was left with little choice to get the consumer agency fully running after months of stalemate.
White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer announced Obama’s move on Twitter after senior administration officials first confirmed it to The Associated Press.
Obama planned to talk about his decision at an economic event in Cordray’s home state of Ohio, accompanied by Cordray.
Cordray would take over the job later in the week and stands to serve for at least the next two years, covering the length of the Senate’s session.
