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Senator: Obama 'shredded Constitution'

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    Sen. David Vitter explains how Republicans plan to challenge president's recess appointments

  • Duration 5:11
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-- explosive accusations.

Senator David bidder is accusing President Obama shredding the constitution.

Enticement Dan Burton -- accusing the president acted like a king or dictator.

So why Republican lawmakers so angry they are furious about -- Obama's recess appointments.

Republicans say that January appointments have a consumer watchdog and other officials violate the separation of powers but today.

The Justice Department says those appointments are legal so what would GOP lawmakers do next senator David -- -- his committee -- Good evening Greta good to be with you nice to have you well shredding the constitution that -- -- guess sets up beating around the bush tell me why you are so.

Had passion about this well because -- do exist recess appointments but they have to happen during a recess.

And no previous president has done what President Obama did.

Last week.

-- fundamentally ignore that rule which has been acknowledged and agreed upon and live by.

By both Democrats and Republicans previous to this in fact.

In 2010.

The Obama assistant solicitor general argued my my point.

My thought of this argument before the Supreme Court.

Earlier the Clinton Justice Department took the same position Harry Reid has taken the same position as me.

But yet because of pure political expediency.

Because the constitutional rules weren't in his favor President Obama just credit last week.

And did these unconstitutional so called recess appointments.

Well wasn't the whole point of not -- -- a real recess was to make sure that he couldn't do that make these recess appointments and recess appointments have been rather routine -- presence going back.

You know for decades have present Reagan did them President Bush forty on front and the Clinton friend -- -- every.

And so that was sort of -- like at it depends on whose turn it is to sort of -- a -- -- -- -- -- -- Well that is why we didn't go into recess but congress has the clear and the sole authority to make its rules and to determine.

What is a recess -- that's directly.

In the constitution.

And again this is all been acknowledged and agreed upon by everyone before last week including even.

The Obama administration's own assistant solicitor general 2010.

So -- -- stick around just had not ever recess so just stick around do the job and vote on his watch dog appointment or not.

While the senate and the house have been coming in every three days.

That the other important point Greta I learned at least not this wasn't that why not just act and that we take this whole sort of video game that's played I use the word in the -- data mean -- -- Greta we did so on and that's this is the key point in the case of Richard -- right it's not that the senate has been dragging its feet.

-- been obstructionist.

We've had a full debate and a vote on Richard -- right president Obama's problem is he didn't get the votes to move forward he didn't get sixty votes we -- a full debate.

And we had a vote in the case of the other appointments to the National Labor Relations Board.

President Obama only made those nominations right before Christmas.

And the democratic chairman of the relevant committee hasn't even scheduled a hearing for those appointments yet.

So -- and -- doesn't have seen the senate hasn't been dragging its feet.

-- so -- chord -- if I've got this right is that you all did your job.

And they didn't the president get enough votes so they waited for all -- get out of town a little bit.

And so soon I got out town he made disappointment and you're -- trying to make sure they didn't do that -- going to a real -- recess.

Full recess but a pro forma session an effort to stop but is that certain how this works out.

That is exactly correct and the -- and -- -- house alone.

Under the constitution.

Have the prerogative to make the rules under which they live including when and how we go and Teresa.

So what's gonna happen from here tell me where Cisco.

Well I've been emailing with colleagues I'm going to be talking of them tomorrow.

And I I think they're too big categories we need to consider.

One is a legal challenge going to the courts ultimately ultimately the US Supreme Court I think it's a very.

Right case we've done everything we can legislative like I think we have an excellent case on the legislative -- The second is I personally -- -- to be some consequences.

For this in terms of dealing with other nominations.

It took -- what -- democratic senate majority leader Harry Reid has to say about this has he had any sort of response at all to this.

Well after.

Before this incident particularly under President Bush.

After -- defending the same practices and saying recess appointments could only be made.

In a real recess significant recess more than three days he consistently took that position.

When he was trying to block President Bush's appointments.

It completely flipped as soon as President Obama needed to.

Set out he has changed his mind -- -- -- how the should be done right.

Senator I'm nice to see it thank you sir for joining us banks -- -- --

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