It was way back in May that President Obama nominated U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat, to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The nomination has been in limbo ever since, and now may be delayed even further.Sen. Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said on Fox News Monday that he plans to hold up all Senate appointments until the administration answers more questions about the Benghazi attack in September 2012.
"I'm going to block every appointment in the United States Senate until the survivors (of the attack in Benghazi) are being made available to the Congress," Graham told Fox. "I'm tired of hearing from people on TV and reading about stuff in books."
Speculation is that Watt, first elected in 1992, won't run for re-election even if he doesn't get the housing post. He only raised $10 last quarter. Several Democrats are already campaigning for the seat.
5 comments:
Sen. Graham tells the truth... A fact the opposing party fails to do "ever."
Mel Watt would be the worst person to be confirmed as the head of the federal housing finance agency, he was part of the problem in the first place.
Definitely agree with 3:58 and Watt's personal suppression of banking transparency legislation and coddling of Fannie/Freddie.
However I believe it's a misnomer to say that Sen. Graham can "hold" Watt's nomination on his own. While the Senate rules require "unanimous consent" to move certain procedures forward, a cloture vote can be forced by the Majority Leader and that takes 60 votes.
Sen. Rand Paul is also pursuing a "hold" on the Janet Yellen nomination for Fed chair. He is requesting a vote on the same kind of Federal Reserve audit legislation that Rep. Watt notoriously blocked numerous times.
Surely Sen. Lindsey Graham, a practical and forward-looking conservative from the great Palmetto State known for his independent outlook on public policy issues coming up for debate in the U.S. Senate, will realize the importance of moving ahead with the nomination of Congressman Mel Watt to this important federal housing position.
A timely boost for the Watt nomination from Charlotte banker and art collector Hugh McColl should help members of Congress appreciate the ability and experience which Congressman Watt will bring to this appointment by President Obama.
Sen. Graham, a frequent guest on CBS's "Face the Nation" and other important news and public affairs programs, enjoys considerable respect from both sides of the aisle in Washington. A shutdown of the entire presidential nominations process is certainly not in the best interest of the country as Sen. Graham himself argued in the case of the recent impasse of the budget deficit ceiling.
Prompt congressional action on the Watt nomination is needed before Congress heads into its end-of-the-year holiday recess.
Mel Watt, from the rohrschack district, was a major reason for the collapse - why the heck would any President nominate someone like him to be a wolf in the henhouse?
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