In The News

Huizenga lauds Supreme Court for taking up Obama recess appointments case
MLive - Zane McMillin - June 25, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga on Monday cheered the Supreme Court's decision to hear arguments over President Barack Obama's use of recess appointments to powerful political posts.

Huizenga, R-Zeeland, issued a statement lauding the Court for agreeing to hear National Labor Relations Board v. Canning during its next term.

The suit was brought after President Barack Obama made several appointments to the board, bypassing the Senate during a holiday.

Still, as noted by The Associated Press, congressional Republicans convened every few days during that break for several minutes to prevent recess appointments. Similar tactics had been used by Democrats in control during the last few years of President George W. Bush's tenure.

A federal appeals court earlier this year ruled the appointments were unconstitutional.

Huizenga's interest in the case centers on the implications it would have for Obama's 2012 recess appointment of Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The head of the CFPB, which is charged with regulating consumer financial offerings, gives periodic updates to and testifies before the House Financial Services Committee.

Huizenga sits on two of that panel's subcommittees. In his statement, Huizenga said he was "glad to see the Supreme Court take up this important constitutional issue."

"The system of checks and balances was designed to prevent one branch of the federal government from overreaching its authority," Huizenga said.

Huizenga went on to note CFPB chief Richard Cordray was a recess appointment, and contended those assigned to such a post should be scrutinized by lawmakers.

"It is essential the appointment of an individual to head such an agency is done in a manner that respects and adheres to the Constitution," Huizenga said.

The Associated Press noted Monday that an adverse ruling could invalidate thousands of labor board decisions and pitch the CFPB into chaos.

Any investigations the latter is undertaking into "mortgage lenders and other financial entities" likely would cease if the Supreme Court upholds a federal appeals court's ruling, the AP reported.