Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was asked if he thought Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) would be confirmed by the Senate, citing “recess appointments.”
on video Posted Massey was asked by CNN's Haley Talbot on X if he thought Gaetz would be confirmed by the U.S. Senate as attorney general.
“Do you think he'll be confirmed by the Senate?” a reporter asked Massey, and Massey was heard replying, “I'm taking a break from my schedule.”
“He is the attorney general,” Massey added. “Please suck it!”
Under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, the president has “power to fill any vacancies that may occur during the recess of the Senate by vesting in committees, expiring at the end of the next session.”
Article 2, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3 read:
The Recess Appointments Clause, which allows the President to make temporary appointments while the Senate is not in session, was adopted by the Constitutional Convention without any opposition or discussion of the clause's intent and scope. in Federalist No.67Alexander Hamilton described the power to appoint rest periods as “merely auxiliary.” . . The purpose is to establish an auxiliary appointment method in cases where the general appointment method is insufficient. It is generally accepted that this provision was created to ensure the president's free administration of government during periods when the Senate is in session and therefore unable to perform its advisory and consent functions. . In addition to promoting executive continuity, presidents have used their powers under the Adjournment Appointments Clause for political purposes to appoint officials who may have difficulty securing Senate confirmation.
Massey's words came after President-elect Donald Trump announced that Gaetz had been selected to serve as attorney general in the incoming administration.
President Trump praised Gaetz as a “deeply talented and tenacious lawyer” who was “trained at William & Mary Law School.”
