How to combat McConnell obstruction on Cabinet picks

[Roland99]

So, Biden nominates some moderates that get through the Senate, then, and excuse my ignorance, Biden could appoint more liberal/progressive people as Deputy Secretaries, fire the Cabinet and then make all the Deputies ACTING Secretaries. Republicans don't seem to have a problem with "Acting" titles

[secondwind]

1. Whatever it takes, that's my motto.

Sick and tired of them all.

[Hoyt]

2. Biden can definitely work around McTurtle on this. Judicial appointments would be tougher, though.

[Bettie]

18. As long as McConnell is King of the Senate

there will be no judicial appointments.

[getagrip_already]

3. Follow trumps method....

Simply put them in place without confirmation.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Exactly. We need to get things done.

[hamsterjill]

11. Thank you.

This! Exactly this. Beat them at their own game.

[lagomorph777]

26. Of course! McConnell and Trump set that precedent. Confirmations are optional.

And so is obeying SCROTUS.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

4. Appoint republican senators for the cabinet....

From states that have Democrat governors and can name replacements. Pick Democrats and gain the advantage in the Senate.

Sounds easy...but

[Roland99]

5. yeah...but what GOP Senator would take that bait?

[Phoenix61]

9. A self-serving one. nt

[lagomorph777]

27. Well, good thing for the GOP, none of them are like that!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

10. May just need one...it does come with a pay raise...

Not much but repubs do love their money.

[groundloop]

23. And then fire the GOPers after a couple of months

As intriguing as this idea sounds, I doubt if Joe would go that route. I do like it though.

[Phoenix61]

7. Time to investigate the turtle and his wife.

You know there’s a ton of shady deals in his past, especially over the past 4 years. Let’s play the game by their rules. If we don’t they will never, ever stop.

[mopinko]

20. unless that creeping crud gets him first.

hard to say which i would prefer.

[smirkymonkey]

22. Good idea.

There must be plenty of dirt on that slimeball and his shady wife. He is very blackmail-able. If I were Joe, it would be my first order of business. Sidelining Mitch would be the most productive thing he could do, because if he doesn't, nothing will ever get done.

[onenote]

12. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way.

Deputy Secretaries have to be confirmed. And the acting head of a cabinet department must be someone who already was confirmed by the Senate for some position.


Check Trump's acting cabinet heads and you'll find that they were appointed acting secretary after having been confirmed to some other position before that.

[Roland99]

14. ok...so get them to confirmed to something less susbstantial and then move them

the point is that it's time to push back and push HARD

[onenote]

17. So you think McConnell is gong to fall for that?

If he really is determined to prevent Biden from installing progressive Cabinet heads, why do you think McConnell would confirm a progressive deputy cabinet secretary knowing that person would be elevated to acting Cabinet secretary?

Let's make sure Joe gets inaugurated first and then worry about his cabinet heads. This election isn't over yet.

[if..fish..had..wings]

13. Impeach McTurtle

Problem solved

[getagrip_already]

15. there is no impeachment in house or senate.......

They have to be removed via procedures established within their own bodies. And mcconel controls those procedures and has the votes to block it.

Now indicting him for obstruction, or conspiracy to dfraud the us, or campaign finance violations might work.

Might not though.

[if..fish..had..wings]

19. Yes, I know

Just get rid of him however we can, winning the last 4 seats would help!

[getagrip_already]

24. It's 2 more, no?

We are at 48. 2 would give us 50 and control with kamela on the gavel.

Two seats could conveniently fall into a runoff in GA. hmmmm. But, georgia! And runoffs are hard to get people to turn out for.

[cbdo2007]

16. exactly, he doesn't even need to fire them....just never fill them and have the acting secretary

do whatever they want.

[Boogiemack]

21. I said he could start out by naming "Actings" and rotate them for the duration of his tenure. nt

[getagrip_already]

25. I think they all need to be confirmed one way or another, except under trump

He has at least two people acting illegally right now.

But if the requirement is that people need to have been confirmed so some post, could former obama and clinton cabinet heads just stand in and let appointed underlings do all the work?

[lagomorph777]

28. Trump set the precedent and McConnell agreed to it.

No need for confirmations anymore.

[onenote]

30. Sorry but that's not true.

Trump appointed individuals who were serving in other Senate-confirmed positions (typically a deputy) to be acting cabinet heads.

[JHB]

29. There's also the small matter of investigating foreign influence

Both from Russia because of Dark Money funneled via the NRA, and some awfully convenient deals with China via his wife.

It'd be nice to have those looked into by a DoJ that wasn't taking orders from a Russian asset.