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The Senate will move into pro forma sessions this month after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the White House failed to reach an accord on moving a slew of stalled nominees, a Democratic official said Thursday. The pro forma sessions, during which the Senate is in session for less than a minute, will take place periodically over the two-week recess. By technically staying in session, President Bush will not be able to use his constitutional authority to install executive branch and judicial nominees during Senate recesses. A Senate Democratic leadership aide said a Thursday meeting between Reid and Josh Bolten, the White House chief of staff, was “positive,” but yielded no agreement. “We will continue to work toward an agreement, but [are] not there yet,” the aide said. The White House declined to comment.
Reid wants Bush’s help in moving eight Democratic nominees to a number of federal agencies and boards in exchange for moving 40 stalled Republican nominees. Democrats also want assurances that the White House will not install some controversial nominees during the recesses, including Steven Bradbury to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. Democrats have criticized Bradbury’s role in crafting memos on interrogation policies of terrorism suspects, but Republicans contend that Bradbury is well-qualified and deserves to be confirmed. The aide would not say whether there was any progress made toward resolving the stalemate over Bradbury or any of the other controversial nominees. |
