Rollcall: Senate to Take Weeklong Break Without Adjourning

[flpoljunkie]

Senate to Take Weeklong Break Without Adjourning

By Steven T. Dennis
Roll Call Staff

May 26, 2011, 6:35 p.m.
Updated: 7:37 p.m.

The Senate will stay in pro forma session next week after failing to agree Thursday to adjourn for its scheduled weeklong Memorial Day recess.

Senate Budget ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) threatened this week to block any unanimous consent request to adjourn because Senate Democrats had not offered a budget resolution for a floor vote. Other Republican Senators were also fighting adjournment to prevent President Barack Obama from making recess appointments.

Sen. Jim DeMint, who is part of the GOP movement to block recess appointments, applauded the decision not to vote to adjourn.

“President Obama has been packing federal agencies with left-wing ideologues, but thankfully he won’t be able to for at least the next week,” the South Carolina Republican said in a statement. “The House will not be sending an adjournment resolution to the Senate, we will remain in pro forma session, and no controversial nominees will be allowed to circumvent the confirmation process during the break.”

The Senate's next vote is scheduled for June 6.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/senate_take_weeklong_break_without_adjourning-206010-1.html?pos=hln

[Thrill]

1. Where is Harry on This

.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Sadly, any senator can block a unanimous consent request to adjourn.

[pscot]

3. Hiding under his desk

[jenmito]

4. I knew they were gonna do that.

:mad:

[warrior1]

5. Harry should make them work

or just past the bills that need to get to the President's desk.

[LiberalFighter]

6. If they are not going to take a break then they should work.

Or forfeit their pay for that time period.

[sad sally]

7. Does Congress ever work a full month?

Yeah, I know their work week starts at noon on Tuesday and ends at noon on Thursday...work, work, work that's all they do.

[Hippo_Tron]

10. They spend a lot of time fundraising, which is mind-numbingly dull work

Congresspeople actually, for the most part, work very hard long hours. It's just that the work they are doing isn't always conducive to serving their constituents in the best manner possible.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. I thought they couldn't filibuster a motion to adjourn

If I were the President I'd probably be publicly threatening to drag their asses back for a special session. I don't have nearly the temperament nor the patience that Obama does.

[AtomicKitten]

9. Well that's bullshit. The a-holes blocked adjournment.

Goddamn it. GOP face meet shovel. :mad:

[Hippo_Tron]

11. The Hill explains that you can't actually filibuster an adjournment resolution

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/163635-gop-pressure-forces-senate-to-work-in-pro-forma-session-blocking-elizabeth-warren-recess-appointment

It's just that Reid decided not to force a vote since, it's apparently a cumbersome process. Or if you believe Jeff Sessions, it's because he didn't want to make the Dems vote to go home.

Obama probably wasn't going to appoint Elizabeth Warren when half the country is on vacation and not watching the news. He'll probably do it in the fall.