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Senate Panel Okays Ban on Gubernatorial Appointments to Vacant Senate Seats
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Candidate
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| Contributor | Craverguy |
| Last Edited | Craverguy Aug 21, 2009 10:32pm |
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| Category | News |
| Author | Edwin Mora |
| News Date | Friday, August 21, 2009 06:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | An amendment to remove the constitutional right of governors to appoint individuals to U.S. Senate seats that become vacant in between elections was recently approved by a 5-to-3 vote in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution.
The resolution, which favors direct elections rather than gubernatorial appointments to unoccupied Senate seats as the Constitution requires, was introduced Jan. 29, following news of a pay-to-play scheme involving then-Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of scheming to sell President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.
Before introducing the amendment, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, released a statement advocating an end to the constitutional right of Blagojevich-type appointments to Senate seats.
“The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it painfully clear that such appointments are an anachronism that must end,” said Feingold.
“In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators,” he said. “They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid-term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people.”
In Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution, dealing with members of the Senate, it states: “[I]f Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof [governor] may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.” |
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