WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- Senators have left town for the Thanksgiving holiday , but the Senate will technically stay in session -- a move that keeps President Bush from making appointments while lawmakers are in recess . The Senate will hold `` pro forma sessions '' while lawmakers are gone for the Thanksgiving holiday . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , said he would schedule `` pro forma '' sessions during the two-week break , even though lawmakers will be absent and no business will be conducted . The sessions are expected to last less than 30 seconds -- the clerk will announce who the presiding officer is , and then that senator will gavel the session closed . The Constitution gives a president the power to fill vacancies without the Senate 's confirmation when the legislative body is in recess . Such appointees can serve without confirmation through the rest of the current session of Congress , which ends in January 2009 . Bush has used the power before to install nominees whose confirmation Senate Democrats had blocked . The most notable instance came in August 2005 when he angered Democrats by naming John Bolton as U.N. ambassador . `` My hope is that this will prompt the president to see that it is in our mutual interests for the nominations process to get back on track , '' Reid said in a statement . Reid said the Bush administration had informed him that several recess appointments would be made during the Thanksgiving break . At the same time , Reid said the White House has been unwilling to confirm nominations Democratic leaders have made to agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission , the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission . `` I indicated I would be willing to confirm various appointments if the administration would agree to move on Democratic appointments , '' he said . `` They would not make that commitment . As a result , I am keeping the Senate in pro forma [ session ] to prevent recess appointments until we get this process on track . '' Asked Friday if Bush planned on making any recess appointments , White House spokesman Tony Fratto said , `` I have nothing for you on that . '' Fratto added , `` We do n't talk about or speculate on personnel appointments until we 're ready to announce them . '' The lawmakers left for their break Friday without passing any major bills that they were trying to get done before the break . An effort to pass a temporary funding bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan stalled on procedural votes . Democratic leaders in the House and Senate -- who want to make the money conditional on setting dates for bringing troops home -- indicated they do n't expect to return to the issue until early next year . The White House and congressional Republicans -- who want the money without strings attached -- are pushing for votes in December . The long-sought $ 286 billion farm bill , which sets the nation 's agriculture policies and provides for subsidies to farmers , also stalled on a procedural vote Friday after senators spent two weeks of floor time unable to agree on a set of amendments to the otherwise popular bill . Competing proposals to stave off the effect of the alternative minimum tax from millions of middle-class voters this tax season is stuck in negotiations between Democrats and Republicans , who agree the tax should be abolished but ca n't agree on how , or whether , to pay for it . The children 's health insurance bill known as the State Children 's Health Insurance Program , or SCHIP , which Bush vetoed once , is bogged down in the House . House Democrats have been unable to persuade wavering Republicans to agree to a proposal that would expand the program and win enough support to override Bush 's veto . There are enough votes to override it in the Senate . Most of the spending legislation Congress was supposed to pass before October will be wrapped into one `` omnibus '' bill to be voted on sometime in December . The Democratic-authored spending bills have been stalled . They are $ 22 billion more than what Bush said he would agree to spend this year . The White House quickly rejected a proposal from Reid to halve the extra funding to $ 11 billion . Sen. Jon Kyl , R-Arizona , floated a counter offer , suggesting Republicans might go along with the extra funding of domestic programs if Democrats agree to pass the war money free of conditions . There has been no official response yet from Democratic leaders , but one Democratic aide said he did n't think his bosses would accept Kyl 's proposal . E-mail to a friend .
Senate will hold ` ` pro forma '' sessions during two - week Thanksgiving holiday . President can fill seats without Senate approval when they are in recess . Senate majority leader said he had been told recess appointments would be made . Education funding , farm bills among major legislation are on table .