Trump hints at SEC chairman pick via 'recess appointment' to bypass confirmation process

Odaily News Trump has hinted that he will bypass the Senate's confirmation process to appoint members of his administration, which appears to include replacing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler. Trump recently posted that only he has the power to choose which U.S. senator will serve as Senate Majority Leader starting when the new Congress is sworn in in January 2025. He hopes that potential majority leaders will agree to suspend appointments to bypass the confirmation process and allow officials to "immediately" assume positions of authority, rather than accepting that under the U.S. Constitution, the President "has the power to fill all vacancies that may occur during the recess of the Senate by granting commissions, the terms of which shall expire at the end of the next session." During his first term, this power allowed Trump to appoint individuals who may not have been approved by the Senate. Recess appointments are intended to be temporary, not a substitute for Senate approval. U.S. President Biden nominated Gensler as an SEC commissioner in 2021, and the Senate approved the appointment by a vote of 54 to 45, with a term until June 2026. During Trump's first term, he went through the constitutional process of appointing SEC commissioners, but also tried to bypass the Republican-controlled Senate and appoint the U.S. Attorney General during the recess. It is unclear whether Trump's nominee for SEC chairman will receive enough votes to pass Senate confirmation, or whether he intends to formally nominate anyone for any position and rely entirely on recess appointments. As of the time of publication, Trump has not publicly nominated any possible successor to Gensler. (Cointelegraph)