Blog

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

6:45 p.m.  The Senate adjourned at 6:42 p.m. to reconvene on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. There will be a series of five votes beginning at 10:00 a.m.  At 10:00 a.m., the Senate will vote on confirmation of the Bianco (2nd Circuit) and Reed/Bachus/Pryor (Ex-Im) nominations, and on the motion to invoke cloture on the Dhillon (EEOC) nomination [5 roll call votes].

During today’s session:

Roll Call Votes:

  1. Cloture on Executive Calendar #95, Kimberly A. Reed, of West Virginia, to be President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States; invoked: 82-17. . NAYS were: Republicans Barrasso, Blackburn, Braun, Cruz, Daines, Grassley, Hawley, Inhofe, Kennedy, Lankford, Lee, Rubio, Sasse, Shelby, Toomey and Young and independent Sanders. Not voting: Murkowski.
  2. 2. Cloture on Executive Calendar #89, Spencer Bachus III, of Alabama, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States; invoked: 74-24. NAYS were: Republicans Barrasso, Blackburn, Braun, Cruz, Daines, Grassley, Hawley, Inhofe, Kennedy, Lankford, Lee, Paul, Sasse, Shelby, Toomy, and Young; Democrats Gillibrand, Harris, Klobuchar, Markey, Merkley, Sanders, and Warren; independent Sanders. Not voting: Senators Booker and Murkowski
  3. 3. Cloture on Executive Calendar #94, Judith DelZoppo Pryor, of Ohio, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States; invoked: 79-19.

Wrap Up:
Legislative Business
Adopted Calendar #61 , S.Res.96: commending the Government of Canada for upholding the rule of law and expressing concern over actions by the Government of the People’s Republic of China in response to a request from the United States Government to the Government of Canada for the extradition of a Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Executive.
Adopted S.Res.192: Legal Counsel.
Adopted S.Res.193: designating May 18, 2019, as “Kids to Parks Day”.
Completed the Rule 14 process to place the following on the Legislative Calendar of Business:
S.1332: to set forth the congressional budget for the US Government for FY’20 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for FY’21 through FY’29 (Paul)
H.R.9: Climate Action Now Act

6:42 p.m. Senators Menendez and Whitehouse spoke on the Mueller report and Russian interference in the 2016 elections.

5:25 p.m. Senator Kennedy spoke about natural gas flaring.

5:24 p.m. By a vote of 79-19 the Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of Judith Pryor to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank for a term expiring 1/20/21

5:00 p.m. The Senate began voting on the nomination of Judith Pryor to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank for a term expiring 1/20/21.

5:00 p.m. By a vote of 74-24 the Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of Spencer Bachus III to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank for a term expiring 1/20/23.

  • Republican Senators voting no: Barrasso, Blackburn, Braun, Cruz, Daines, Grassley, Hawley, Inhofe, Kennedy, Lankford, Lee, Paul, Sasse, Shelby, Toomy, and Young.
  • Democrat and Independent Senators voting no: Gillibrand, Harris, Klobuchar, Markey, Merkley, Sanders, and Warren.
  • Not voting: Senators Booker and Murkowski

4:39 p.m. The Senate began voting on the Bachus nomination.

4:38 p.m. By a vote of 82-17 The Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of Kimberly Reed to be President of the Export-Import Bank for a term expiring 1/20/21. Senators voting No: Barrasso, Blackburn, Braun, Cruz, Daines, Grassley, Hawley, Inhofe, Kennedy, Lankford, Lee, Rubio, Sanders (I), Sasse, Shelby, Toomey, and Young.

4:00 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of of Kimberly Reed to be President of the Export-Import Bank.

3:51 p.m. Senator Tester spoke about the Violence Against Women Act.

3:39 p.m. Senator Smith spoke about the Violence Against Women Act.

3:34 p.m. Senator Murray spoke about the Violence Against Women Act.

3:23 p.m. Senator Cortez Masto spoke about the Violence Against Women Act.

3:03 p.m. Senator Udall spoke about the Violence Against Women Act.

2:29 p.m. Senator Toomey spoke against the export/import bank.

2:18 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke on the economic situation.

2:15 p.m. Senator Manchin spoke in favor of the Reed nomination.

2:15 p.m. The Senate returned from the recess.

12:30 p.m. The Senate recessed to allow for the weekly caucus luncheons.

12:24 p.m. The Senate will have 3 roll call votes at 4:00 p.m. today: 

  1. Cloture on the nomination of Kimberly Reed to be President of the Export-Import Bank.
  2. Cloture on the nomination of Spencer Bachus to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank.
  3. Cloture on the nomination of Judith Pryor to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export- Import Bank.

If cloture is invoked on the nominations then there will be 5 roll call vote on Wednesday, May 7:

  1. Confirmation of Joseph Bianco to be US Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit.
  2. Confirmation of Kimberly A. Reed to be President of the Export-Import Bank.
  3. Confirmation of Spencer Bachus III, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export- Import Bank.
  4. Confirmation of Judith DelZoppo Pryor to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank.
  5. Cloture vote on the nomination of Janet Dhillon to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Senator Crapo spoke about the Ex-Im Bank nominations.

12:16 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke about the Mueller Report.

11:35 a.m. Senator Warren spoke about the Mueller Report.

11:18 a.m. Senator Cantwell spoke on Export-Import Bank nominations.

11:08 a.m. Senator Thune spoke about Senator Enzi’s retirement and on the economy.

10:40 a.m. Senator Lee spoke on the export-import bank.

10:24 a.m. DL Schumer spoke on the Mueller report.

10:02 a.m. ML McConnell spoke on the Mueller report.

***

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

Following Leader remarks, resume consideration of the nomination of Joseph Bianco to be US Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit, post-cloture.

The Senate will recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

Roll call votes are expected during Tuesday’s session.

As a reminder, Majority Leader McConnell has also filed cloture on the following nominations:

1) Kimberly Reed to be President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. (Up to 2 hours of post cloture debate)

2) Spencer Bachus to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank. (Up to 2 hours of post cloture debate)

3)Judith Pryor to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank. (Up to 2 hours of post cloture debate)

4) Janet Dhillon to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (Up to 2 hours of post cloture debate)

5)Michael Park to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit. (Up to 30 hours of post cloture debate)

Following a vote on confirmation of a nomination, there would be a cloture vote on the next nomination.