CONFIRMATIONS

Obama Gets His Nominees

27 approved after president issues stern words.

President Barack Obama had harsh words for Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Thursday. After struggling over a deadlock on administration nominees, Obama told the Senate Minority Leader, "If you don't move any, I'm going to do some [recess] appointments." Twenty-seven nominees have since been confirmed. In a statement, Obama said, "While this is a good first step, there are still dozens of nominees on hold who deserve a similar vote, and I will be looking for action from the Senate when it returns from recess. If they do not act, I reserve the right to use my recess appointment authority in the future." Though the move may look like a show of power from the commander in chief, Republicans say this happens all the time. "We cleared something like 35 nominees before the last recess, too. That's what happens before a recess," said a Senate Republican aide.