Furious against the US Congress, Donald Trump stunned Wednesday by threatening to use constitutional powers never used before to force the confirmation of judges and other Senate appointments, while accusing the Democrats of paralyzing economic aid measures.
The Senate, with a Republican majority, has the power to confirm or reject the president’s appointments to strategic positions: members of the administration, heads of government agencies, magistrates of the Supreme Court, ambassadors, federal judges, etc.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the upper house suspended its plenary sessions until May 4 but meets every three days in short sessions “pro forma“, gathering only a few senators.
Nominations and texts can in theory be approved unanimously during these sessions, but deep political divisions complicate this perspective.
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“What is being done now, to leave the city while conducting bogus pro forma sessions, is a breach of duty towards the Americans who cannot afford it during this crisis“, launched the Republican president.
At his daily press conference on the coronavirus crisis, he urged the Republican leader of the Senate to suspend all meetings so that he could play a provision of the Constitution and confirm his candidates himself.
If the Democrat-majority House of Representatives “do not agree with this suspension, I will exercise my constitutional right to suspend the two chambers of Congress“, he threatened.
“I’d rather not use this power“, however, said Donald Trump.
“Voice of america” critiqued
He attacked his new bête noire, the public audiovisual group, on this subject “Voice of america“, indignant at not seeing advance confirmation from the official he would like to see at the head of the federal agency overseeing the group, Michael Pack.
“If you heard what comes out of Voice of America, it’s disgusting, the things they say are disgusting compared to our country“, launched the President of the United States.
A skilful strategist, usually an ally of the Republican president, Senate leader Mitch McConnell did not seem ready to follow his directives, while avoiding responding directly to his threat.
A spokesman said he met with Donald Trump on Wednesday “to speak about the Senate Democrats’ unprecedented hindrance to the President’s highly qualified candidates, and shared his frustration with this process“.
Mr. McConnell “is committed to finding ways to confirm the candidates considered essential (in the fight against) the Covid-19 pandemic, but according to the rules of the Senate, this will require consent“The leader of the Democratic minority, Chuck Schumer, said the spokesman for AFP.
The constitutional power evoked by Donald Trump “has never been used and should not be applied at this time“Reacted on Twitter Jonathan Turley, professor of law at George Washington University.
Donald Trump also accused Democrats in Congress of blocking an additional $ 250 billion for small and medium-sized businesses.
This sum would be added to the 350 billion already planned in the historic plan to revive the American economy of more than 2,000 billion dollars approved at the end of March.
The Democrats say they want to negotiate to ensure that these additional funds will be distributed to all the SMEs entitled to them, and claim to be able to approve at the same time 250 billion of additional aid intended for hospitals and local authorities, on the front line of the fight against coronavirus.
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