Senators head home, block president Trump recess appointments

WASHINGTON: The US Senate adjourned leaving Donald Trump deprived of any major legislative victory heading into summer break, as lawmakers also blocked the president from making socalled recess appointments during the rest period.

The move, by unanimous consent of the 100 senators, serves as a check on Trump as he mulls firing his Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump has considered replacing his embattled top law enforcement official amid broadening investigations into allegations that his aides coordinated with Russia to tilt last year’s election in his favour.

The president has strongly criticised Sessions for recusing himself from the probe, and speculation swirled over whether Trump would ram through a replacement during the break, without Senate confirmation.

But that avenue closed when Senator Lisa Murkowski, adjourning the Senate for the day, locked in nine‘ proforma’ sessions over the next month.

Such sessions typically last a minute or two, with no business conducted. Holding them keeps the Senate open during the vacation period, denying the president recess appointment opportunities. As summer-bound US lawmakers exit Washington, the numbers are telling: with Trump in office seven months, and his Republican Party controlling all three branches of government, Congress has passed zero pieces of major legislation.

The Republicans’ over-promised effort to repeal and replace Barack Obama’s health care reforms collapsed in embarrassing shambles.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had hoped to triumph on a health bill last month, leaving time to accomplish other goals including raising the US debt ceiling and working on budget bills for fiscal year 2018. But the health care fiasco sucked up weeks of debate time, and its cascading effect stalled other legislation. — AFP