6:28 p.m. Senate stands adjourned until 10 a.m. Thursday.
6:19 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke about climate change.
6:08 p.m. Senator Carper spoke in celebration of Delaware Day, December 11. He made note of the December 15 deadline to sign up for medical coverage at healthcare.com
6:07 p.m. Leader McConnell secured second reading for the resolution to continue federal spending, S-3009, under Rule 14. The Senate consented to convene at 10 a.m. Thursday.
6:05 p.m. The Senate agreed to confirmation votes on the Skipwith and Sullivan nominations at 11:45 a.m. Thursday and the Hahn nomination at 1:45 p.m. Thursday.
6:03 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the Skipwith nomination 53-41.
Senators voting in favor: 50 Republicans, 2 Democrats: Jones and Manchin.
Senators voting against: 40 Democrats, 1 Independent: King.
Senators not voting: 3 Democrats: Bennet, Booker and Warren; 3 Republicans: Burr, Isakson and Paul; 1 Independent: Sanders.
5:40 p.m. Roll call vote began on the Skipwith nomination.
5:38 p.m. Senators Carper and Barrasso spoke on the Skipwith nomination.
5:37 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the Hahn nomination, 74-19.
Senators voting in favor: 50 Republicans, 23 Democrats, 1 Independent: King.
Senators voting against: 19 Democrats: Blumenthal, Cantwell, Duckworth, Gillibrand, Harris, Hassan, Heinrich, Hirono, Klobuchar, Leahy, Markey, Merkley, Murray, Reed, Schatz, Schumer, Smith, Stabenow and Udall.
Senators not voting: 3 Democrats: Bennet, Booker and Warren; 3 Republicans: Burr, Isakson and Paul; 1 Independent: Sanders.
5:14 p.m. Roll call vote began on the Hahn nomination to be Commissioner of the FDA.
5:13 p.m. Senators Murray and Alexander spoke on the Hahn nomination.
5:12 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the Sullivan nomination, 69-25.
Senators voting in favor: 51 Republicans, 17 Democrats: Cardin, Carper, Coons, Cortez Masto, Feinstein, Hassan, Jones, Kaine, Leahy, Manchin, Merkley, Murphy, Rosen, Shaheen, Sinema, Tester and Van Hollen; 1 Independent: King.
Senators voting against: 25 Democrats.
Senators not voting: 3 Democrats: Bennet, Booker and Warren; 2 Republicans: Burr and Paul; 1 Independent: Sanders.
4:49 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the nomination of John Sullivan to be Ambassador to Russia.
4:48 p.m. The VanDyke nomination was confirmed 51-44.
Senators voting in favor: 51 Republicans.
Senators voting against: 42 Democrats, 1 Republican: Collins; 1 Independent: King.
Senators not voting: 3 Democrats: Bennet, Booker and Warren; 1 Republican: Paul; 1 Independent: Sanders.
4:05 p.m. Roll call vote began on the confirmation of the VanDyke nomination.
3:58 p.m. Senators Merkley, Shaheen and Gardner joined the colloquy in tribute to Senator Isakson.
3:11 p.m. Senators Capito, Hassan and Jones paid tribute to Senator Isakson.
3:00 p.m. Senator Isakson thanked his staff upon his imminent retirement.
2:15 p.m. Senator Braun spoke about his year in the Senate and also about trade.
1:57 p.m. Senator Blunt spoke about agriculture and the economy.
1:43 p.m. Senator Durbin also paid tribute to former Congressman Berkeley and also spoke about the Hahn nomination. He also paid tribute to a Chicago minister-Dr. Clay Evans.
1:26 p.m. Senator Grassley paid tribute to the former Congressman from Iowa, Berkeley He also spoke about China and the economy and also spoke about Pearl Harbor.
1:15 p.m. Senator Moran paid tribute to Kelly McManus, a fellow departing his office.
12:54 p.m. Senator Casey spoke on health care and later the supplemental nutrition assistance program and coal miners health care.
12:36 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke on health care and asked unanimous consent to take up and pass S. 1416 Democratic Leader Schumer objected.
12:35 p.m. The Senate passed H.R.2333, the Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act by a tally of 95-0.
Senators not voting: 3 Democrats:Bennet, Booker and Warren;1 Independent: Sanders; 1 Republican: Paul.
Noon. The vote began on passage of the veterans suicide prevention bill, H.R. 2333.
11:54 a.m. Senator Sullivan spoke about the veterans suicide bill.
11:50 a.m. Senator Tester spoke about veterans and suicide.
11:13 a.m. Senator Brown spoke about taxes.
10:57 a.m. Senator Carper spoke on the economy and the tax code.
10:44 a.m. Senator Wyden spoke about the 2nd anniversary of the Trump tax law widening the economic gap in America.
10:36 a.m. Senator Boozman spoke honoring officer Steven Carr of the Fayetteville police department who was killed in the line of duty on Saturday.
10:33 a.m. Senator Manchin spoke on benefits for coal miners.
10:18 a.m. DL Schumer spoke about the shooting in Jersey City, on impeachment and on the Inspector General report on election interference.
9:49 a.m. Senator Thune spoke against Speaker Pelosi’s prescription drug plan.
9:40 a.m. ML McConnell spoke on impeachment and on the need to pass vital legislation such as the USMCA and NDAA before the end of the year.
9:38 a.m. The Majority Leader asked u.c. that at 4:15 p.m., the Senate will proceed to 4 votes: 1. Confirmation of Lawrence Vandyke to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit 2. Motion to invoke cloture on John Sullivan to be Ambassador of the U.S. to the Russian Federation 3. Motion to invoke cloture on Stephen Hahn to be Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services 4. Motion to invoke cloture on Aurelia Skipwith to be Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
9:30 a.m. The Senate convened and resumed post-cloture considerations of the VanDyke nomination.
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The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. and will resume post-cloture consideration of the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke, of Nevada, to be a United States Circuit Court judge for the Ninth Circuit, post cloture.
At noon, the Senate will vote on passage of H.R.2333, the Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act.
Also expected Wednesday are votes on confirmation of the VanDyke nomination and on cloture for these nominations:
- Executive Calendar #530, John Joseph Sullivan, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to Russia
- Executive Calendar #543, Stephen Hahn, of Texas, to be Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services.
- Executive Calendar #452, Aurelia Skipwith, of Indiana, to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.