During Congress' Winter break, the Senate held a series of pro forma sessions in order to prevent President Obama from making agency appointments. In particular, Republican Senators wished to block the appointment of Richard Cordray as head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
On January 4, Pres. Obama held a campaign-styled event to announce the appointment of Cordray and to challenge efforts at limiting his Constitutional powers to make recess appointments.
The House Oversight & Government Reform Cmte. holds a hearing on the President's actions, calling them "unprecedented." The hearing also looked into the recess appointment of four commissioners to the National Labor Relations Board.