Bypassing the Senate

Washington, D.C.

President Bush took advantage of a brief Senate adjournment last week to appoint 17 federal officials without having to go through the regular confirmation process. Democrats complained that the “recess appointments” for posts at the Departments of State, Homeland Security, and others were an attempt to avoid questions about the qualifications of the candidates, including Julie Myers, the wife of a top aide to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, to head the Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau. The White House said the recess appointments were necessary because Democratic threats to hold lengthy hearings amounted to “playing politics” with the nominations.

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