6:38 p.m. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. Thursday, when it will resume consideration of the Ney nomination. Post-cloture time on Ney will be have expired or been yielded back at 1:30 p.m.

6:20 p.m. Senator Merkley spoke about the Kavanaugh nomination.

6:03 p.m. Senator Rubio spoke about the algae bloom in Florida.

5:58 p.m.  Senator Lee, who voted YEA during the roll call on the Cassidy instructions to conferees, received consent to change his vote to NAY. Thus, the final tally is 94 to 5 for passage.

5:50 p.m. Senator Cortez Masto spoke about the separation of immigrant children from their parents.

5:20 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke of the need for oversight at the Pentagon.

5:11 p.m. Senator Hirono spoke about the Supreme Court vacancy.

4:41 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke on climate change.

4:28 p.m. Senator Nelson spoke about a reservoir project south of Lake Okeechobee in southern Florida; and later paid tribute to Nathaniel Reed who worked on everglades restoration.

3:08 p.m. Senators Blumenthal, Blunt, Lankford and Gillibrand spoke about the Supreme Court vacancy.

2:54 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the Ney nomination 74-25.

Senators voting in favor: 47 Republicans, 28 Democrats, 1 Independent: King.

Senators voting against: 21 Democrats: Baldwin, Blumenthal, Booker, Brown, Casey, Cortez Masto, Duckworth, Feinstein, Gillibrand, Harris, Hirono, Leahy, Markey, Menendez, Merkley, Peters, Schatz, Schumer, Stabenow, Warren and Wyden; 3 Republicans: Lee, Paul and Sullivan; 1 Independent: Sanders.

Senators not voting: McCain.

2:27 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the nomination of Paul Ney to be General Counsel for the Defense Department.

2:25 p.m. The Benczkowski nomination was confirmed 51-48, with Senator Manchin joining all Republicans present in favor.  Senator McCain did not vote.

2:00 p.m. Roll call vote began on confirmation of the Benczkowski nomination.

1:49 p.m. Senator Coons spoke against the Benczkowski nomination.

1:32 p.m. Senator Sanders spoke against the Kavanaugh nomination.

1:08 p.m. Senators Capito and Barrasso spoke in favor of the Kavanaugh nomination.

1:07 p.m The following Senators were appointed conferees on HR 5895, the minibus conference:

Republicans Shelby, Alexander Boozman Daines Lankford; Democrats: Leahy, Feinstein, Schatz and Murphy.

1:05 p.m.  The Corker-Toomey motion to instruct conferees on the minibus regarding tariffs was agreed to 88-11.

Senators voting no: Barrasso, Capito, Crapo, Enzi, Graham, Heller, Hyde-Smith, Inhofe, Perdue, Risch & Scott.

Senators not voting: McCain.

12:44 p.m. Roll call vote began on the Corker motion to instruct.

12:42 p.m. Senators Corker and Brown spoke in relation to the motion.

12:41 p.m. The Cassidy motion to instruct was agreed to 95-4.

Senators voting against: Barrasso, Enzi, Flake and Lankford.

Senators not voting: McCain.

12:02 p.m. Roll call vote began on the Cassidy motion to instruct conferees with respect to HR 5895.

12:00 p.m. The compound motion to go to conference on HR 5895 was agreed to by voice vote.

11:54 a.m. Senator Shelby spoke about appropriations.

11:48 a.m. Senator Alexander spoke about appropriations and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

11:46 a.m. Senator Cassidy spoke about the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

11:43 a.m. Senator Flake spoke about trade tariffs and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

11:37 a.m. Senator Corker spoke about trade tariffs and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

11:30 a.m. Senator Toomey spoke about trade tariffs and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

11:25 a.m. Senator Perdue spoke about trade tariffs and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

11:14 a.m. Senator Leahy spoke about the Benczkowski nomination.

11:00 a.m. Senator Tillis spoke about Pastor Andrew Brunson and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).

10:22 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about the Kavanaugh nomination.

10:12 a.m.  Senator Durbin spoke about the separation of immigrant children from their families.

10:06 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. He spoke about other nominations. He spoke about the economy.

*****

The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. and will resume post-cloture consideration of the nomination of Brian Allen Benczkowski to be an assistant attorney general.

• At  noon, the chair will lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 5895 (“Minibus I” – Energy and Water/Legislative Branch/Military Construction/VA) Appropriations).

• The Majority Leader or his designee will be recognized to insist on the Senate amendment, agree to the request for a conference, and authorize the chair to appoint conferees (to make the compound motion to go to conference). The Senate will then vote on that compound motion to go to conference.

• If the compound motion is agreed to, Senator Cassidy (relative to the National Flood Insurance Program) and Senator Corker (relative to tariffs) will each be recognized to offer a motion to instruct conferees. The Senate will then vote on the two motions to instruct, in the order listed.  There will be two minutes of debate between votes.

• At 2 p.m., the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on confirmation of the Benczkowski nomination.

• Following disposition of the Benczkowski nomination, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Paul C. Ney, Jr. to be general counsel of the Department of Defense.