Recess appointment

When the Senate is not in session, the President of the United States has the authority to make recess appointments to fill vacancies in certain federal positions. These appointments are temporary and expire at the end of the next session of the Senate.

Recess appointments have been used by presidents for centuries, but they have become more controversial in recent years. Some argue that recess appointments are an abuse of power and that the Senate should have the sole authority to confirm presidential nominees.

Others argue that recess appointments are a necessary tool for the President to ensure that the government can function properly when the Senate is not in session. They point out that the Senate has often refused to confirm presidential nominees for political reasons, and that recess appointments allow the President to bypass this obstructionism.

The debate over recess appointments is likely to continue for many years to come. It is a complex issue with no easy answers. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use recess appointments is a political one that must be made by the President.

• Some of the most famous recess appointments include:
• William Howard Taft, who was appointed Secretary of War by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904
• William Jennings Bryan, who was appointed Secretary of State by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913
• Henry Kissinger, who was appointed Secretary of State by President Richard Nixon in 1973
• Madeleine Albright, who was appointed Secretary of State by President Bill Clinton in 1997
• Neil Gorsuch, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump in 2017

These are just a few examples of the many recess appointments that have been made throughout American history. Recess appointments have been used to fill a wide variety of positions, from cabinet secretaries to Supreme Court justices.

While recess appointments can be a controversial tool, they are a necessary part of the American political system. They allow the President to ensure that the government can function properly, even when the Senate is not in session.