Tuesday, September 28, 2021

7:51 p.m. The Senate stands adjourned until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

During wrap up:

  • Adopted by unanimous consent, S. Res. 392, National Forensic Science Week
  • Adopted by voice vote, S.Res. 393, National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month.
  • Began the Rule 14 process to place on the Legislative Calendar of Business: S.2868 – a bill to suspend the debt limit; H.R.3755 – Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021; and on H.R.5323 – Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021

7:47 p.m. ML Schumer has filed cloture on Executive Calendar #293 Tracy Stone-Manning to be Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

7:46 p.m. ML Schumer filed cloture on Executive Calendar #354 Rohit Chopra to be Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection for a term of five years.

7:46 p.m. By a vote of 53-41, the Senate confirmed Todd Robinson to be an Asst Secretary of State for Intl Narcotics & Law Enforcement Affairs.

6:56 p.m. The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #240 Todd D. Robinson, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs).

6:47 p.m. Senator Cotton spoke on China.

6:23 p.m. Senator Cruz spoke on Russia.

5:58 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke on the pending nomination debates. Senator Menendez asked unanimous consent to call up and confirm the nomination of Paloma Adams-Allen to be deputy administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Senator Hawley objected to the request.

Senator Menendez asked u.c. to confirm Isobel Coleman to be Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming, United States Agency for International Development. Senator Hawley objected.

Senator Menendez asked u.c. to confirm Tulinabo Salama Mushing to be Ambassador to Angola. Senator Hawley objected.

Senator Menendez asked u.c. to confirm Eugene S. Young to be Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo. Senator Hawley objected.

Senator Menendez asked u.c. to confirm Larry Edward Andre Jr. to be Ambassador to Somalia. Senator Hawley objected.

Senator Menendez asked u.c. to confirm Elizabeth Moore Aubin to be Ambassador to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. Senator Hawley objected.

Senator Menendez asked u.c. to confirm Maria E. Brewer to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho. Senator Hawley objected.

Senator Menendez asked u.c. to confirm Christopher John Lamora to be Ambassador to Cameroon. Senator Hawley objected.

Senator Menendez asked u.c. to confirm Marc Evans Knapper to be Ambassador to Vietnam. Senator Hawley objected.

5:57 p.m. By a vote of 67-31, the Senate confirmed Mary Phee to be an Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

5:13 p.m. The Senate began a vote on confirmation of Mary Phee, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (African Affairs).

4:54 p.m. Senator Lee spoke against mandating the Covid-19 vaccine. Senator Lee asked unanimous consent to call up and pass S. 2850. Senator Murray objected.

4:14 p.m. Senator Cruz spoke on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

4:12 p.m. By a vote of 61-36, the Senate confirmed Monica Medina to be Assistant Secretary of State (Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs)

Republicans voting in favor: Senators Blunt, Capito, Collins, Crapo, Graham, McConnell, Murkowski, Portman, Risch, Romney, Rounds, Sullivan, and Tillis.

3:27 p.m. Roll call vote began on confirmation of the Medina nomination.

2:52 p.m. Senators Collins, Lankford and Scott of South Carolina spoke on welfare.

2:47 p.m. Senators Murray, Klobuchar and Merkley spoke on the debt limit.

2:38 p.m. Majority Leader spoke on government funding and the debt limit and asked UC for a time agreement and vote on a debt limit bill. Republican Leader McConnell objected and asked ML Schumer to modify his request, which ML Schumer objected to.

2:15 p.m. The Senate returned from the recess. Senator Murphy spoke on Afghanistan.


12:27 p.m. The Senate resumed consideration of the nomination of Monica P. Medina to be Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and recessed until 2:15 p.m. for weekly caucus lunches.

11:30 a.m. The Senate is currently voting on the confirmation of Karen Erika Donfried to be an Assistant Secretary of State (European Affairs and Eurasian Affairs). The nomination was confirmed by a roll call vote of 73-26.

11:15 a.m. Senator Cruz spoke on Russian sanctions.

11:04 a.m. Senator Thune spoke on the continuing resolution.

10:49 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke on the continuing resolution and immigration.

10:43 a.m. Majority Leader Schumer spoke on the continuing resolution.

10:30 a.m. Republican Leader McConnell spoke on the continuing resolution.

The Senate will convene at 10:00 a.m. today.

At 11:30 a.m., there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of Karen Erika Donfried to be an Assistant Secretary of State (European Affairs and Eurasian Affairs).

Following the Donfried vote, the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Monica P. Medina to be Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and recess until 2:15 p.m. for weekly caucus lunches.

At 3:15 p.m. there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Medina nomination.

Further votes are expected during today’s session and cloture has ripened on the following nominations:

  • Mary Catherine Phee to be an Assistant Secretary of State (African Affairs).
  • Todd D. Robinson to be an Assistant Secretary of State (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs).
  • Jessica Lewis to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Political-Military Affairs.

As a reminder, cloture was filed on the following nomination during yesterday’s session:

  • Executive Calendar #264, Robert T. Anderson, of Washington, to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior.