President Obama hasn’t used his recess appointment power very often. But he didn’t hesitate to install Donald Berwick as the administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services without Senate confirmation over a year ago, to lead the implementation of the new health care law. Berwick’s has, without a doubt, been Obama’s most important recess appointment, and his most effective. But he will step down early next month — a few weeks before his term expires — because filibustering Republicans continue to deny him an up or down vote.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=104081