6:05 p.m. By a vote Alex Azar to be Secy for HHS by a vote of 54 to 43. (Corker, McCain and Scott not voting).
5:40 p.m. By a vote of 84-13 the Senate confirmed the Powell nomination. (Corker, McCain and Scott not voting).
5:11 p.m. The Senate began voting on the Powell nomination.
4:54 p.m. Senator Wyden spoke about the Azar nomination to be Secretary of HHS.
4:11 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke about Paul Kigame of Rwanda.
4:00 p.m. Senator Wicker spoke Defense appropriations.
3:45 p.m. Senator Flake spoke about earmarks.
3:37 p.m. Senator Lee spoke about earmarks.
3:34 p.m. Senator Crapo spoke about the Powell nomination.
3:26 p.m. Senator Brown spoke about the Powell nomination.
3:12 p.m. Senator Thune spoke supporting tax reform.
3:11 p.m. Senator Thune asked u.c. that the Senate vote at 5 p.m. on confirmation of Jerome Powell’s nomination to be chairman of the Federal Reserve. A cloture vote will follow for the Azar nomination to be secretary of H.H.S.
3:10 p.m. The Senate invoked cloture on the Powell nomination 84-12. (8 Democrats voted no: Blumenthal, Booker, Feinstein, Gillibrand, Harris, Markey, Merkley, and Warren. 3 Republicans voted no: Cruz, Lee, and Paul. 1 Independent voted no: Sanders)
2:33 p.m. Cloture vote on the Powell nomination began.
2:15 p.m. Senator Warren spoke against the Powell nomination.
2:15 p.m. The Senate returned from the recess.
12:30 p.m. The Senate recessed until 2:15 to accommodate the weekly caucus luncheons.
12:20 p.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about the resumption of federal spending and about the negotiations over the status of immigrant children brought illegally into the U.S. by their parents. He spoke about children’s health.
12:02 p.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about the school shooting in Kentucky. He spoke about the resumption of federal spending, the reauthorization of the children’s health program, immigration, and taxes.
The Senate will convene at 12:00 p.m. and resume consideration of the nomination of Jerome Powell to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
They will then recess from 12:30-2:15 to accommodate the weekly caucus luncheons. Roll call votes are possible on Tuesday.
Majority Leader McConnell filed cloture on the following nominations during Monday’s session:
1. Jerome Powell to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
2. Alex Azar to be Secretary of the department of Health and Human Services.
3. Sam Brownback to be Ambassador at large for religious freedom.
The cloture petitions on each nomination will ripen one at a time, after disposition of the previous nomination. Each is subject to up to thirty hours of post-cloture debate.
