Friday, January 11, 2008

Bush “recycles” Mine Safety Chief behind Senate’s back again.

bluegal, Crooks and Liars: George Bush doesn’t like the Constitution. Especially that part where the Senate has to confirm his appointments. Remember when he wanted coal industry executive Richard Stickler to head the Mine Safety agency? Stickler was turned down by the Senate twice. So in late 2006 Bush did what he does and gave Stickler a recess appointment. Now that the recess appointment has expired, Bush has found that by putting “acting” at the beginning of a job title, he can appoint people whenever he likes?

The recess appointment expired at the end of 2007. In a somewhat bizarre chain of events, MSHA removed Stickler’s bio from the agency’s website and announced Jan. 3 that Stickler’s assistant was the acting assistant secretary. But his tenure was brief: On Jan. 4, Bush named Stickler the new acting assistant secretary, a move that does not require congressional approval and is likely to last until the end of Bush’s term. After press reports that Stickler’s bio had been removed, it’s now back online.

Mine Workers (UMWA) President Cecil Roberts says: “The appointment of Richard Stickler to be acting assistant secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, just days after his term in that position expired because he couldn’t be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, demonstrates the deep level of contempt the Bush administration holds for the Senate and the constitutional role that body holds.”

Duh.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

At least MSHA is recycling SOMETHING.

When the bushies took over they all said screw the rules, including the law that requires federal offices to recycle paper. All the recycling bins for bottles and cans were tossed, and the paper recycling bins get dumped into the trash every night. Of course, MSHA still pockets the money that Congress appropriates to pay for the recycling program.