US President Donald Trump has threatened to adjourn the US Congress despite the coronavirus pandemic, accusing Democrats of stalling his nominations for federal judgeships and top government positions.
“I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress… I’d rather not use that power … We’ll probably be challenged in court and we’ll see who wins.” He said.
He adds: “The current practice of leaving town, while conducting phony pro forma sessions, is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis.”
No US president has used the constitutional authority to force Congress to adjourn if they cannot agree on a date to adjourn.
The president said Democrats have forced the Republican controlled Senate to eat up time while confirming judges, a top priority of the GOP-led chamber, and as a result, there’s “no time for anybody else,” like a director of national intelligence and an undersecretary of agriculture to administer food programs.
According to the US Constitution, the president has the power to adjourn Congress only if the two chambers disagree with each other, and it is only reserved for extraordinary circumstances.
