President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to use his “constitutional authority” to adjourn both chambers of Congress so he can make recess appointments and fill vacant positions within his administration, which he argued was more urgent amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so I can make recess appointments," Trump said Wednesday during a press briefing. "We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government. And now more so than ever before because of the virus and the problem."
COVID-19 has infected more than 2 million people and killed at least 129,045 worldwide, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
No president has ever used his constitutional authority under the Recess Appointment Clause of the Constitution to appoint public officials unless the Senate is in recess. The upper chamber is in recess until May 4 but has been conducting pro forma sessions in the meantime.
"The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis," he said. "It is a scam, what they do. It’s a scam. And everybody knows it and it’s been that way for a long time."
Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution says Trump can, "on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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