President Obama plans to circumvent Senate GOP opposition and recess-appoint his nominee to head a new consumer bureau two senior administration officials told The Hill.
White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer confirmed the recess appointment of Richard Cordray on Wednesday on Twitter after the move was first reported by The Associated Press.
We Cant Wait: Today in Ohio President Obama will announce the recess appointment of Consumer Watchdog Richard Cordray Pfeiffer tweeted.
Obama will recess-appoint Cordray to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Senate Republicans en masse voted to block the nomination in December.
The move is likely to infuriate Senate Republicans who have sought to prevent congressional recesses by holding brief pro forma sessions every few days during longer breaks. It could even lead to a court challenge regarding the legality of the move.
The White House believes the pro forma sessions are a gimmick and that the president has the power to make a recess appointment despite them according to the AP report.
The CFPB was created as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law and is charged with enforcing a variety of financial consumer protection laws. However it cannot fully realize its power until a director is in place.
Amie Parnes contributed.
President Obama plans to circumvent Senate GOP opposition and recess-appoint his nominee to head a new consumer bureau two senior administration officials told The Hill.
White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer confirmed the recess appointment of Richard Cordray on Wednesday on Twitter after the move was first reported by The Associated Press.
We Cant Wait: Today in Ohio President Obama will announce the recess appointment of Consumer Watchdog Richard Cordray Pfeiffer tweeted.
Obama will recess-appoint Cordray to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Senate Republicans en masse voted to block the nomination in December.
The move is likely to infuriate Senate Republicans who have sought to prevent congressional recesses by holding brief pro forma sessions every few days during longer breaks. It could even lead to a court challenge regarding the legality of the move.
The White House believes the pro forma sessions are a gimmick and that the president has the power to make a recess appointment despite them according to the AP report.
The CFPB was created as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law and is charged with enforcing a variety of financial consumer protection laws. However it cannot fully realize its power until a director is in place.
Amie Parnes contributed.
