Wednesday, July 10, 2019

6:15 p.m. The Senate adjourned and will reconvene at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, July 11th and will resume consideration of the King nomination.

There will be 3 votes at 11:00 a.m.:

  1. Confirmation of the nomination of Robert L. King to be to be Assistnat Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
  2. Confirmation of the nomination of John P. Pallasch to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor.
  3. Motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Peter C. Wright to be Assistant Administration, Office of Solid Waste, EPA.

If cloture is invoked on the Wright nomination, there will be a vote on confirmation at 1:45 p.m.

During wrap-up:

  • S.1811, WRDA Technical Corrections, was adopted by voice vote.

*****

5:34 p.m. Senator Blumenthal spoke about the cost of prescription drugs.

5:32 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the Pallasch nomination by a vote of 54 to 41. Senator Manchin voted YES. Senators Booker, Gillibrand, Harris, Heinrich, and Sanders were absent.

5:03 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of John P. Pallasch to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor.

5:02 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the King nomination by a vote of 56 to 39. Senators Jones, Manchin, and Sinema voted YES. Senators Booker, Gillibrand, Harris, Heinrich and Sanders were absent.

4:28 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Robert L. King to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

4:11 p.m. Senator Cardin spoke about the U.S. women’s national soccer team.

4:04 p.m. Senator Murray spoke on the Pallasch and King nominations.

2:45 p.m. Senator Cassidy spoke about pharmaceutical costs.

2:39 p.m.Senator Braun spoke about entrepreneurship and health care changes.

2:30 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke about bipartisan health care bills and prescription drug costs.

2:21 p.m. Senator Lankford spoke about the Affordable Care Act and prescription drug costs.

2:14 p.m. Senator Alexander spoke about the cost of prescription drugs.

2:07 p.m. Senator Capito spoke about the cost of prescription drugs.

2:02 p.m. Senator Scott of FL spoke about the Affordable Care Act.

1:56 p.m. Senator Ernst spoke about the cost of prescription drugs.

1:38 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke about medical research funding and immigration.

12:50 p.m. Senator Barrasso achieved UC that the Senate recess from 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. to allow for an all Senators briefing on election security.  He then spoke on health care.

12:28 p.m. The Senate confirmed the Leichty nomination, 85-10.

Voting against: 10 Democrats: Blumenthal, Durbin, Harris, Klobuchar, Markey, Murray, Schatz, Smith, Stabenow & Warren.

Not voting: 4 Democrats: Booker, Duckworth, Gillibrand and Heinrich; 1 Independent: Sanders.

12:04 p.m. The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of the nomination of Damon Ray Leichty to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

12:03 p.m. The Senate confirmed the Ranjan nomination, 80-14.

Voting against: 14 Democrats: Bennet, Blumenthal, Cantwell, Harris, Hirono, Klobuchar, Markey, Merkley, Murray, Smith, Stabenow, Udall, Warren & Wyden.

Not voting:4 Democrats: Booker, Duckworth, Gillibrand and Heinrich;  1 Republican: Young; 1 Independent: Sanders.

11:37 a.m. The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of the nomination of Nicholas Ranjan to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

11:36 a.m. The Senate confirmed the Wetherell nomination, 78-15.

Voting against:15 Democrats: Baldwin, Blumenthal, Harris, Hirono, Klobuchar, Markey, Menendez, Merkley, Schatz, Schumer, Smith, Stabenow, Van Hollen, Warren & Wyden.

Not voting:5 Democrats: Booker, Duckworth, Gillibrand, Heinrich and Warner; 1 Republican: Young; 1 Independent: Sanders.

11:01 a.m. The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of the Wetherell nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

10:54 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about crime victims rights.

10:45 a.m. Senator Thune spoke on health care and job creation.

10:28 a.m. DL Schumer spoke about border issues and cartoonist Ben Garrison. Schumer also spoke on election security and health care.

9:34 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about today’s briefing for senators about election security.

Senator McConnell took steps under Rule XIV to bring to the floor H.R. 2740 and H.R. 3055, appropriations bills for, respectively, the Health and Human Services Department and other agencies, and the Commerce and Justice Departments and other agencies.

9:33 a.m. Senator Grassley spoke a Secret Service report on mass violence.

*****

The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m and will resume post-cloture consideration of the nomination of T. Kent Wetherell II to be a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Florida.

At 11 a.m., there will be three confirmation votes:

— Wetherell to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida;

—  J. Nicholas Ranjan, of Pennsylvania, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania;

— Damon Ray Leichty to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

At 4:30 p.m., there will be two cloture votes:

  1. The nomination of Robert L. King to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education
  2. The nomination of John P. Pallasch to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor