Sen. McConnell says Obama trying to pick a fight with Congress

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that the courts will have to resolve President Obama’s recent recess appointments and blamed the White House for the confrontation with lawmakers.

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” McConnell said the president’s recess appointments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) earlier this month was part of Obama’s reelection strategy.

{mosads}“We all know the president wants to pick a fight with Congress,” McConnell said.

The senator said the president cannot decide when the Senate is in session or in recess. He noted that there was litigation against the recess appointments at the NLRB and that he understood that there would be litigation forthcoming against the consumer bureau as well.

“What’s unusual here is the president’s unconstitutional action,” McConnell said. “In other words, asserting that he has the authority to decide when we are in session. I don’t find that in the constitution and I think the courts are going to have resolve this issue.”

McConnell also wouldn’t take issue with Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) promise to block Obama administration nominees due to Lee’s concerns over the recess appointments.

“Senators put holds on nominations all the time. That’s very common,” McConnell said.