President Obama defied congressional Republicans yesterday with a series of high-level recess appointments likely to face legal challenges from the GOP.
Obama installed Richard Cordray as head of a new consumer protection agency during a campaign-style rally at a high school outside Cleveland. Republicans believe the new agency is too powerful and used a filibuster to block a confirmation vote for Cordray last month.
“I refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer,” Obama told the cheering crowd of 1,300 packed in the school’s auditorium. “I’m not going to stand by while a minority in the Senate puts party ideology ahead of the people we were elected to serve.”
Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general known for taking on big banks, becomes the nation’s top consumer watchdog as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He is charged with scrutinizing mortgage companies, payday lenders, debt collectors and other institutions blamed for undermining the economy.
Obama continued his day of bold moves with three recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board — a target of GOP criticism for its perceived pro-union slant. Obama installed to the board Deputy Labor Secretary Sharon Block, union lawyer Richard Griffin and NLRB counsel Terence Flynn.
Republicans immediately chastised Obama and vowed to fight all four appointments.
“This is an extraordinary and entirely unprecedented power grab by President Obama,” House Speaker John Boehner said. “I expect the courts will find the appointment to be illegitimate.”
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney weighed in, saying Obama’s behavior displays “Chicago-style politics at its worst.”
The White House maintains Obama’s actions are allowed under the Constitution, which gives the president authority to make recess appointments.
Obama installed Richard Cordray as head of a new consumer protection agency during a campaign-style rally at a high school outside Cleveland. Republicans believe the new agency is too powerful and used a filibuster to block a confirmation vote for Cordray last month.
“I refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer,” Obama told the cheering crowd of 1,300 packed in the school’s auditorium. “I’m not going to stand by while a minority in the Senate puts party ideology ahead of the people we were elected to serve.”
Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general known for taking on big banks, becomes the nation’s top consumer watchdog as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He is charged with scrutinizing mortgage companies, payday lenders, debt collectors and other institutions blamed for undermining the economy.
Obama continued his day of bold moves with three recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board — a target of GOP criticism for its perceived pro-union slant. Obama installed to the board Deputy Labor Secretary Sharon Block, union lawyer Richard Griffin and NLRB counsel Terence Flynn.
Republicans immediately chastised Obama and vowed to fight all four appointments.
“This is an extraordinary and entirely unprecedented power grab by President Obama,” House Speaker John Boehner said. “I expect the courts will find the appointment to be illegitimate.”
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney weighed in, saying Obama’s behavior displays “Chicago-style politics at its worst.”
The White House maintains Obama’s actions are allowed under the Constitution, which gives the president authority to make recess appointments.
