Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: the Bill is overdue



At 9:49 -0700 5/24/02, Bernard Cleyet wrote:

Too many people forget that two thirds of the Senate (present) must
approve supreme court nominations -- an appropriate conclusion from this
fact should be obvious.

bc

P.s. Article II section II (excerpt)

He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur;
and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls,
judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United
States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and
which shall be established by law: but the Congress may by law vest the
appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the
President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.

The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen
during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions which shall
expire at the end of their next session.

If I read your excerpt correctly, only treaties require a 2/3
majority (reasonable, since upon approval the treaty becomes a part
of US law). Other "advice and consent" provisions require only a
simple majority vote to confirm. I suspect that if it was 2/3, it
would be almost impossible to get any appointment through the senate,
since it is rare for either party to have a 2/3 majority. IIRC,
Clarence Thomas was confirmed by 51-49, or something close to that.

Hugh
--

Hugh Haskell
<mailto:haskell@ncssm.edu>
<mailto:hhaskell@mindspring.com>

(919) 467-7610

Let's face it. People use a Mac because they want to, Windows because they
have to..
******************************************************