The White House and the Senate have brokered a deal in which the president will not make recess appointments while Congress is off for Easter recess.
The Washington Post reports that the informal agreement between the executive and legislative branches will prevent the Obama administration from making an end-run around the Senate by making recess appointments to fill vacant federal positions. This will prevent a reprise of the January 2012 controversy in which the president made controversial recess appointments – including the placement of Richard Cordray to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – while Congress was in pro forma sessions. A U.S. district court ruled in January that last year's recess appointments violated the constitution; the administration has announced plans to appeal that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Senate is set to resume its session during the week of April 8.