Blog

Thursday, May 24, 2018

5:23 p.m. The Senate adjourned.

The Senate will convene for a pro forma session only on the following dates and times: Friday, May 25th at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, May 29th at 9:00 AM, Thursday, May 31st at 11:30 AM. The Senate will then convene at 3:00 PM on Monday, June 4th and will proceed to Leader remarks.  The Senate will then proceed to an Executive Session to consider Cal. #542, Robert Earl Wier, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky.  The Senate will vote on the Motion to Invoke Cloture on the nomination at 5:30 PM.
5:11 p.m. ML McConnell conducted wrap up. The following nominations were confirmed, en bloc by voice vote:
  • Cal. #848, David B. Cornstein to be Ambassador to Hungary.
  • Cal. #851, Francis R. Fannon to be an Assistant Secretary of State.
  • Cal. #852, Eliot Pedrosa to be United States Alternate Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank.
  • Cal. #853, Jonathan R. Cohen to be Deputy Representative to the United Nations and Deputy Representative in the UN Security Council.
  • Cal. #854, Jonathan R. Cohen to be Representative to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
 The following nominations were confirmed, en bloc, by voice vote:
  • Cal. #898, Erica H. MacDonald to be United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota.
  • Cal. #899, Scott Patrick Illing to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
 The following nominations were confirmed, en bloc by unanimous consent:
  • Cal. #859, Rear Adm. Michael F. McAllister to be Vice Admiral, US Coast Guard.
  • Cal. #860, Rear Adm. Daniel B. Abel to be Vice Admiral, US Coast Guard.
  • Cal. #861, Rear Adm. Scott A. Buschman to be Vice Admiral, US Coast Guard.
  • Cal. #862, Rear Adm. Linda L. Fagan to be Vice Admiral, US Coast Guard.

All nominations on the Secretary’s Desk in the Coast Guard.

The following nominations were confirmed, en bloc, by Unanimous Consent :
  • Cal. #870, Capt. Peter G. Vasely to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half), US Navy.
  • Cal. #871, Col. Diron J. Cruz to be Brig. General, US Army Reserve.
  • Cal. #872, Col. Daniel T. Lasica to be Brig. General, US Air Force.
  • Cal. #873, Lt. Gen. Bradford J. Shwedo to be Lt. General, US Air Force.
  • Cal. #874, Brig. Generals to be Major Generals in the US Army.
  • Cal. #875, Col. Wendy L. Harter to be Brig. General, US Army Medical Service Corps.
  • Cal. #876, Col. Shan K. Bagby to be Brig. General, US Army Dental Corps.
  • Cal. #877, Col. Michael L. Place to be Brig. General, US Army Medical Corps.
  • Cal. #878, Rear Adm. Craig S. Faller to be Vice Admiral, US Navy.
  • Cal. #879, Maj. General Warren D. Berry to be Lt. General, US Air Force.
  • Cal. #880, Maj. Gen. Donald E. Kirkland to be Lt. General, US Air Force.
  • Cal. #881, Maj. Gen. Darsie D. Rogers, Jr. to be Lt. General, US Army.
  • Cal. #882, Maj. Gen Bradley A. Becker to be Lt. General, US Army.
  • Cal. #883, Vice Adm. Michael M. Gilday to be Vice Admiral, US Navy.
  • Cal. #884, Lt. Gen. Lewis A Craparotta to be Lt. General, US Marine Corps.
  • Cal. #885, Lt. Gen. Daniel J. O’Donohue to be Lt. General, US Marine Corps.
  • Cal. #886, Brig. Gen. David B. Burgy to be Major General, US Air National Guard.
  • Cal. #887, Col. Michele C. Edmondson to be Brig. General, US Air Force.
  • Cal. #888, Capt. Jeffrey S Scheidt to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half), US Navy.
  • Cal. #889, Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Martin to be Lt. General, US Army.
  • Cal. #890, Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman to be Lt. General, US Marine Corps.

All nominations on the Secretary’s Desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy.

The following nominations were confirmed, en bloc, by voice vote:
  • Cal. #826, Rubydee Calvert to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
  • Cal. #827, Laura Gore Ross to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The following nominations were confirmed, en bloc, by voice vote:
  • Cal. #168, Annie Caputo to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
  • Cal. #169, David Wright to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
  • Cal. #404, Jeffery Martin Baran to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The nominations were confirmed, en bloc, by Voice Vote.
  • Cal. #865,Gregory J. Slavoni to be an Assistant Secretary of the Navy, confirmed by voice vote.

H.R. 4910, Amends Title 38, US Code to provide for Outer Burial Receptacles for Remains at National Parks, agreed to by u.c.

H.R. 3663, Designates VA Medical Center, agreed to by u.c.

S. Res. 528, National Public Works Week, agreed to by u.c.

S. Res. 529 National Minority Health Month, adopted by voice vote.

S. Res. 531 National Brain Tumor Awareness Month, agreed to by u.c.

4:10 p.m. Senator Markey spoke about gas prices.

3:28 p.m. Senator Sullivan spoke about the VA Mission Act.

3:09 p.m. Senator McConnell filed cloture on the following nominations:

  • 542-Robert Weir to be U.S. District Judge for Eastern Kentucky
  • 587-Fernando Rodriguez Jr. to be US. District Judge for Southern Texas
  • 625-Annemarie Carney Axon to be US. District Judge for Northern Alabama.

2:49 p.m. Senator Portman spoke about veterans and the opioid crisis.

2:26 p.m. Senator McCaskill paid tribute to her executive assistant/scheduler.

2:21 p.m. Senator Klobuchar spoke about the Congressional Sexual Harassment and Discrimination bill.

2:15 p.m. James Evans to be Ambassador to Luxembourg was confirmed by a vote of 48-43. Dems voting aye: Senators Donnelly, Heitkamp, and Tester. Not voting: Senators Cruz, Duckworth, Flake, Hassan, Heller, McCain, Moran, Rubio and Sanders.

1:44 p.m. The Senate began voting on confirmation of Exec. Cal. #618 James Evans to be Ambassador of the U.S. to Luxembourg.

1:41 p.m. Senator Klobuchar spoke supporting the passage of S. 2952.

1:40 p.m. Senator Blunt asked u.c. to call up S. 2952, a bill to amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to Establish Protections Against Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act. The bill was passed by voice vote.

1:37 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke about the nomination of James Randolph Evans.

1:28 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke about protection for law enforcement officers who provide information to Congress.

1:18 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke about his recent trip to Venezuela.

1:10 p.m. Senator Fischer spoke about her scheduler’s, Vaughan Wehr, departure from her staff.

1:08 p.m. Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of James Randolph Evans, 49-44.

12:47 p.m. Senate began a cloture vote on the nomination of James Randolph Evans to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Luxembourg.

12:46 p.m. Senate confirmed by voice the nomination of Jelena McWilliams to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the FDIC.

12:45 p.m. Senate confirmed Jelena McWilliams to be Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the FDIC, 69-24.

Senators voting against: 23 Democrats, 1 Independent: Sanders.

12:00 p.m. Senate began voting on the nomination of Jelena McWilliams to be Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

11:46 a.m. Senator Brown spoke about the economy and against the McWilliams nomination.

11:26 a.m. Senator Donnelly spoke about supporting our military and in honor of our fallen soldiers. He spoke in tribute of four fallen Hoosiers.

11:18 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about supporting our military and their families, the merits of the VA Choice legislation, and upcoming work on NDAA.

11:02 a.m. Senator Warren spoke against the Montgomery and McWilliams nominations.

10:55 a.m. Senator Lee spoke about cutting taxpayer funds for abortion.

10:31 a.m. Senator Wicker spoke about his measure on wireless communications service.

10:19 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about the cancellation of the U.S.-North Korea summit conference, the Mueller investigation, spending to fight Ebola, and Memorial Day.

9:35 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spke about the veterans health bill. He spoke about pending public works and defense measures. He

9:33 a.m. The Senate resumed consideration of the McWilliams nominations.

 The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. and will resume post-cloture consideration of the following nominations:

— Jelena McWilliams to be chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Corporation;

— Jelena McWilliams to the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Corporation.

At noon, the Senate will proceed to roll call votes on confirmation of the McWilliams nominations.

Following disposition of the McWilliams nominations, the Senate will immediately proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of James Rudolph Evans to be ambassador to Luxembourg.

  • If cloture is invoked on the Evans nomination, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on confirmation of the nomination at 1:45 p.m.