When it comes to President Obama's appointment of Richard Cordray to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, congressional Republicans think Obama has some explaining to do.

Both House Financial Services Committee Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) and Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, have both written letters to Attorney General Eric Holder questioning the legality of the appointment.

Bachus wrote Holder asking did “the White House seek the [Justice] Department's  advice on any aspect of the appointment of Mr. Cordray.'' Bachus also asked whether the department believes the Senate was “in recess,''  at the time Obama appointed Cordray  last week.

Grassley (R-Ia.), whose letter was also signed by seven other Republicans on the Judicviary Cimmittee, requested copies of any advice that the Justuice Department gave Obama on the legality of the appointment and also asked if the administration still stands by its 2010 positionm that Congress must be out of session for three days to be considered to be in recess.

Last Wednesday, Obama circumvented Senate Republicans and made a recess appointment of Cordary to run the CFPB and also made three recess appointments to rthe National Labor Relations Board.