Politico reports today that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is threatening to keep the Senate in session through Christmas to confirm a slew of Presidential appointees. However, he has signaled a willingness to limit it to a quick confirmation of four nominees (Alejandro Mayorkas, Dep Sec DHS; John Koskinenen, Commissioner IRS; Brian Davis, FL district court; Janet Yellen, Chairman Federal Reserve), provided that the remaining executive and judicial nominees stay pending in 2014.
Under normal circumstances, with the expiration of the first session of the 113th Congress at the end of the calendar year, any executive and judicial nominees who had not yet been confirmed by the full Senate would have to start the process over again next year, and once again go through the committee confirmation process. This would include Terrell McSweeny, nominated for the next Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission. As has been previously reported on this blog, McSweeny is considered a noncontroversial nominee, and in other Congresses would have been voted through by unanimous consent (UC) of the Senate. Since Reid’s invocation of the “nuclear option,” Senate Republicans have twice rejected a slate of UC candidates proposed by the Democrats, which may have included McSweeny.
Should Republicans agree to Reid’s deal, then even if McSweeny is not confirmed before year’s end, she would be eligible for confirmation by the Senate as soon as it is back in session next year.
posted by Anant Raut
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