6:55 p.m.
The Senate stands adjourned until 9:30am on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.
Following leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of Executive Calendar #939, Karen Dunn Kelley, of Pennsylvania, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce, with the time until 11:00am equally divided.
The Senate will recess from 11:00am until 12:00 Noon to allow for an all-senators briefing.
All post-cloture time will expire at 12:15pm and the Senate will vote on confirmation of the Kelley nomination. Upon disposition of the Kelley nomination, there will be a cloture vote on the Farr nomination
The Senate could also consider a motion to discharge S.J.Res.54 during Wednesday’s session.
As a reminder, Senator McConnell has filed cloture on the following nominations:
- Executive Calendar #939, Karen Dunn Kelley, of Pennsylvania, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce;
- Executive Calendar #626, Thomas Alvin Farr, of North Carolina, to be US District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina;
- Executive Calendar #1141, Jonathan A Kobes, of South Dakota, to be US Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit; and
- Executive Calendar #1064, Kathleen Laura Kraninger, of Ohio, to be Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
Each cloture motion will ripen upon disposition of the previous one and each is subject to up to 30 hours of post-cloture debate time.
In today’s session of the Senate there were the following two Roll Call Votes:
- Confirmation of Executive Calendar #544, Stephen Alexander Vaden, of Tennessee, to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture; confirmed: 53-46.
- Cloture on Executive Calendar #939, Karen Dunn Kelley, of Pennsylvania, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce; invoked: 62-37.
Today’s wrap up
Legislative Business
Concurred in the House amendment to S.2074, conveyance of land around Jamestown reservoir.
Concurred in the House amendment to S.440, conveyance of land around Dickinson reservoir.
Passed Calendar #650, H.R.5317: Alcohol Manufacturing on Indian Lands.
Passed by voice vote H.R.1074: Sac and Fox Indian Reservation.
Passed H.R.3946, with Isakson amendment: Ray Hendrix Veterans Clinic.
Adopted S.Res.674: National Principals Month.
Adopted S.Res.424, with Baldwin amendment: honoring the 25th anniversary of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program.
Passed S.3661: 75th Anniversary of World War II program.
Passed by voice vote H.R.1918, with Menendez amendment: Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act of 2017.
No Executive Business
5:50 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke on Putin and separately the breaking news of Paul Manafort’s meeting with Assange.
5:40 p.m. Senator Gillibrand spoke against the Farr nomination.
5:30 p.m. Senator Blumenthal spoke on gun violence in America.
5:20 p.m. Senator Brown spoke about jobs in the U.S.
4:59 p.m. Senator Lee spoke about former Congressman Jim Hansen and on war powers.
4:42 p.m. Senator Warren spoke about the Farr nomination.
4:20 p.m. Senator Kyl spoke on nuclear weapons capabilities.
4:05 p.m. Senator Klobuchar spoke about the Farr nomination and voter registration.
3:41 p.m. Senator Hatch spoke about his time in the Senate.
2:57 p.m. Senators Grassley, Portman, and Toomey paid tribute to retiring Senator Orrin Hatch.
2:15 p.m. The Senate returned from their recess.
1:15 p.m. The Senate recessed to accommodate the weekly caucus lunches.
1:15 p.m. The Senate invoked cloture by a vote of 62-37 on the nomination of Karen Kelley to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce.
Senators voting in favor: 50 Republicans, 11 Democrats: Casey, Donnelly, Heitkamp, Jones, Manchin, McCaskill, Murphy, Nelson, Schatz, Shaheen and Tester; 1 Independent: King.
Senators voting against:36 Democrats; 1 Independent: Sanders.
Senators not voting: 1 Republican: Hyde Smith.
12:54 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on Karen Dunn Kelley to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce.
12:53 p.m. The Vaden nomination was confirmed by a vote of 53 to 46.
Senators voting in favor: 50 Republicans, 3 Democrats: Donnelly, Heitkamp, and Stabenow.
Senators voting against: 44 Democrats, 2 Independents: King and Sanders.
Senators not voting: 1 Republican: Hyde-Smith.
12:16 p.m. The Senate is now voting on confirmation of the Vaden nomination.
12:08 p.m. Senator Thune spoke on the accomplishments of the 115th Congress.
11:54 a.m. Senator Harris spoke against the Farr nomination.
11:36 a.m. Senator Merkley spoke on climate change.
11:22 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke on the Farr nomination.
11:08 a.m. Democratic Leader Schumer spoke about the layoffs and plant closings by General Motors, the economy, climate change, and the Farr nomination.
10:42 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about government funding and caravans.
10:35 a.m. Senator Leahy spoke about the Vermont state house.
10:15 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke supporting the Vaden nomination.
10:00 a.m. The Senate convened.
*****
The Senate will convene at 10:00 a.m. today and will resume consideration of the Vaden nomination, post-cloture. There will be two votes at 12:15 p.m.:
- Confirmation of the Vaden nomination.
- Motion to invoke cloture on Karen Dunn Kelley, of Pennsylvania, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce.
Majority Leader McConnell also filed cloture on the following nominations:
- 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.