WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Senate Democrats reached a deal with Republicans that will prevent U.S. President Obama from making recess appointments while Congress is not in session.
Democratic leaders agreed to schedule pro-forma sessions every week until Nov. 15, when the Senate is scheduled to reconvene, The Hill reported Wednesday.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell threatened to send Obama's most controversial nominees back to the president if Democrats didn't agree to the pro-forma sessions, a senior GOP aide said.
Under the law, the president can make a recess appointment only if the Senate is adjourned for more than three consecutive days. By scheduling pro forma sessions twice a week, lawmakers remove the ability for Obama to make recess appointments.
Obama had more than 110 executive- and judicial-branch nominees pending on the Senate's executive calendar as of Wednesday, The Hill said.
