Monday, November 26, 2018

6:24 p.m.  The Senate has adjourned until 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 27th and will resume consideration of the nomination of Stephen Vaden to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture, post-cloture. At 12:15 p.m. the Senate will vote on confirmation of the Vaden nomination.

During wrap-up:

  • 3649, Prison Reform, was read a 2nd time and placed on the calendar.
  • Res. 702, Native American Heritage Month, was adopted by voice vote.
  • Res. 687, Boston Red Sox, was adopted by unanimous consent.
  • Res. 704, Adoption Month, was adopted by unanimous consent.
  • Res. 705, Phenylketonuria Awareness Day, was adopted by unanimous consent.
  • Res.706, Legal Counsel, was adopted by unanimous consent.

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6:20 p.m. The Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of Stephen Vaden to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture by a vote of 49-45. Democrats voting in favor: Senators Donnelly, Heitkamp, and Stabenow. Senators not voting: Crapo, Graham, Hyde-Smith, Moran, Sanders, and Wicker.

5:30 p.m. The Senate is now voting on confirmation of the nomination of Stephen Vaden to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture.

5:24 p.m. Senator Alexander spoke in support of the Vaden nomination.

5:21 p.m. Senator Corker spoke in support of the Vaden nomination.

5:15 p.m. Senator Isakson paid tribute to Senator Nelson.

5:07 p.m. Senator Nelson spoke about his time in the Senate.

4:47 p.m. ML McConnell spoke about the 115th Congress, nominations, and government funding.

4:11 p.m. Senator Schumer spoke about the Farr nomination and pending nominations.

3:15 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about Senate accomplishments.

The Senate will convene at 3:00 p.m. and resume consideration of the nomination of Stephen Vaden to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture.

  • At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Vaden nomination.

Majority Leader McConnell also filed cloture on the following nominations:

  • Karen Kelley to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce
  • Thomas Farr to be a US District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina
  • Jonathan Kobes to be US Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit
  • Kathleen Kraninger to be Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection

The cloture motions will be processed one at a time, after disposition of the previous nomination. Each is subject to up to thirty hours of post-cloture debate.