In the United States, the power to put Congress in recess is primarily governed by the Constitution and the internal rules of each chamber. Here's how it works:
The Constitution (Article I, Section 5, Clause 4) states that neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other chamber. This means that Congress, as a whole, doesn't have a single external authority that can unilaterally "put it in recess." Instead, the decision is a cooperative one between the two chambers.
Internal Rules and Leadership:
In practice, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader, in coordination with their respective chambers, play key roles in determining when Congress goes into recess. They schedule session dates and recesses based on legislative needs, political strategy, and tradition (e.g., the August recess).
The House and Senate must agree on a resolution or motion to adjourn for a recess, such as during holidays or election periods.
The President’s Role: The Constitution (Article II, Section 3) gives the President the power to adjourn Congress "to such Time as he shall think proper" if the House and Senate cannot agree on a time of adjournment. However, this presidential authority has never been exercised in U.S. history, making it more of a theoretical power than a practical one.
Pro Forma Sessions: Sometimes, to avoid a formal recess (and potential presidential "recess appointments" under Article II, Section 2), Congress holds pro forma sessions—brief meetings with little or no business conducted. This keeps Congress technically in session, and no single person can force a full recess in this scenario.
So, under normal circumstances, Congress puts itself in recess through mutual agreement between the House and Senate, typically orchestrated by their leaders. The President has a constitutional mechanism to step in but has never used it.
But he could use it. Johnson could deliberately propose a ridiculous recess that the Senate would never agree to, and then he could go to Trump and say "we can't agree!" Then Trump can invoke his authority.
If the government shutsdown, wouldn't Trumps cabinet picks become recess appointments?
THIS is what I see!
I hope this happens.
No, because Congress remains in session during a government shutdown.
I think it's between Johnson & Trump to recess Congress & a recessed Congress would be such a lovely combination with a shutdown govt ;)
I wasn't sure, so I asked Grok...
In the United States, the power to put Congress in recess is primarily governed by the Constitution and the internal rules of each chamber. Here's how it works: The Constitution (Article I, Section 5, Clause 4) states that neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other chamber. This means that Congress, as a whole, doesn't have a single external authority that can unilaterally "put it in recess." Instead, the decision is a cooperative one between the two chambers.
Internal Rules and Leadership: In practice, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader, in coordination with their respective chambers, play key roles in determining when Congress goes into recess. They schedule session dates and recesses based on legislative needs, political strategy, and tradition (e.g., the August recess).
The House and Senate must agree on a resolution or motion to adjourn for a recess, such as during holidays or election periods.
The President’s Role: The Constitution (Article II, Section 3) gives the President the power to adjourn Congress "to such Time as he shall think proper" if the House and Senate cannot agree on a time of adjournment. However, this presidential authority has never been exercised in U.S. history, making it more of a theoretical power than a practical one.
Pro Forma Sessions: Sometimes, to avoid a formal recess (and potential presidential "recess appointments" under Article II, Section 2), Congress holds pro forma sessions—brief meetings with little or no business conducted. This keeps Congress technically in session, and no single person can force a full recess in this scenario.
So, under normal circumstances, Congress puts itself in recess through mutual agreement between the House and Senate, typically orchestrated by their leaders. The President has a constitutional mechanism to step in but has never used it.
But he could use it. Johnson could deliberately propose a ridiculous recess that the Senate would never agree to, and then he could go to Trump and say "we can't agree!" Then Trump can invoke his authority.
Yeah, it's not a 100 percent shutdown.
If that were the case we could actually stop the government for good and win 😂
Came to say this 😂