Monday, April 24, 2017

6:53 p.m. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. Tuesday.

6:52 p.m. Senator McConnell secured consent for this business tomorrow: the Senate will convene at 10 a.m. and will consider the Rosenstein nomination. The Senate will recess for policy luncheons from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m.

6:33 p.m. Senator Rubio spoke about the release of an American citizen imprisoned in Egypt.  He spoke about reports that pro-Russian forces in Chechnya have violated the rights of gay men. He paid tribute to a departing employee, Alex Burgo.

6:28 p.m. Senator Wicker spoke about the death of Joseph Stone, a member of the international monitoring mission in Ukraine.

6:24 p.m. Senator Boozman spoke on the confirmation of Governor Perdue’s nomination.

6:23 p.m. Senator Perdue spoke on the confirmation of Governor Perdue’s nomination.

6:22 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the Rosenstein nomination. Vote was 92 to 6.

Senators voting against: Blumenthal, Booker, Cortez Masto, Gillibrand, Harris, and Warner.

6:03 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the nomination of Rod Rosenstein to be Deputy Attorney General.

6:02 p.m. The nomination was confirmed 87-11.

Senators in favor: 50 Republicans, 36 Democrats, 1 Independent: King.

Senators voting against: 10 Democrats: Blumenthal, Booker, Gillibrand, Harris, Markey, Menendez, Reed, Warren, Whitehouse, Wyden; 1 Independent: Sanders.

Senators voting Present: Perdue

Senators not voting: Flake

5:30 p.m. The confirmation vote began on the nomination of Sonny Perdue to be agriculture secretary.

5:05 p.m. Senator Tester spoke in support of the Perdue nomination and about the USDA budget.

4:49 p.m. Senator Markey paid tribute to Trish Raidenburg.

4:43 p.m. The Senate agreed by voice vote to the motion to proceed to the nomination of R. Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of Labor and ML McConnell filed cloture on the Acosta nomination. This sets up a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Acosta nomination for Wednesday, April, 26th. 

4:31 p.m. Senator Stabenow spoke in favor of the Perdue nomination.

3:36 p.m. Senator Hatch spoke about the designation of land in Utah for federal protection.

3:25 p.m. The Senate resumed consideration of the Perdue nomination.

3:10 p.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about Matthew McClanahan. He spoke about the federal spending bill. He spoke about the record of the Trump administration’s first 100 days. He spoke about the Rosenstein nomination.

3:02 p.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about the talks on the federal spending bill and on the Perdue and Rosenstein nominations,  under consideration today.  He spoke in memory of journalist Kate O’Beirne and of Matthew McClanahan, the Capitol worker killed in an accident last week.

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The Senate will convene at 3:00 p.m., and following any leader remarks, will resume consideration of the nomination of Sonny Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture.

A vote on confirmation of the nomination is expected at 5:30 p.m.

Following the disposition of the Perdue nomination, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Rod Rosenstein to be Deputy Attorney General.