Senators, Do Your Job

There's a legitimate argument about whether the president's actions went too far. I don't blame Republicans for chafing at them, or being frustrated at their inability to do much in response.

Holding up spending bills in a fit of temper over Obama's immigration moves is bad for the country and self-destructive. The courts represent an unlikely avenue of relief. So the Lynch nomination offers one tempting way for Republicans to vent frustration with what they view as executive overreach.

"The Senate shouldn't confirm any attorney-general nominee, from whatever party, of whatever race, ethnicity, or gender identification, who believes the president can rewrite the nation's laws at will," Lowry wrote in National Review, blithely overstating Lynch's (and Obama's) position.

Lowry acknowledged that the ironic result of his approach would be to leave the much-reviled Holder in place. "But there's no helping that," he added. "The principle that would be upheld is the Senate not giving its imprimatur to an attorney general who thinks its lawmaking role is optional."

What about the principle of the Senate deciding that its confirming role is optional? If senators have a serious problem with the president's selection for a particular job -- if they believe the nominee lacks experience, is temperamentally unsuited, or is ideologically too far outside the mainstream -- they have the constitutional right to reject the choice.

But that's not Republicans' beef with Lynch. Their beef with Lynch is that she is Obama's nominee and shares his views.

In the end, whenever that finally comes, Lynch appears to have enough Republican support to squeeze through -- perhaps with Vice President Biden casting the deciding vote. This lets Republicans have their tantrum without being responsible for the logical consequences of their position.

Last week, McConnell refused to bring up Lynch's nomination while the Senate was stalemated over a human trafficking bill and abortion politics. This week the Senate is busying itself debating a budget that will never be put in place. Then it takes two weeks off.

By which point Lynch's nomination will have languished for more than five months. Enough. It's long past time for the Senate to do its job, however grudgingly.

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Ruth Marcus' email address is ruthmarcus@washpost.com.