6:23 p.m. The Senate adjourned until 9:30 a.m. Thursday. The Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Ralph R. Erickson, of North Dakota, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit. A cloture vote is expected between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. If cloture is invoked and post-cloture time is ceded back, a confirmation vote would ensue, followed by a cloture vote on the nomination of Ajit Varadaraj Pai, of Kansas, to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission.
6:21 p.m. Senator Inhofe secured consent for passage of these measures: H.R. 3819, to extend certain statutes related to veterans; H.R. 2266, as amended, to allow for the appointment of more federal bankruptcy judges; S.Res. 269, to make September, 2017 National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
By consent, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Marine General Joseph Dunford to a new term as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
6:01 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke about federal regulations.
5:40 p.m. Senator Wyden spoke on Medicare.
5:34 p.m. Senator Thune achieved UC that the Senate resume consideration of the Erickson nomination. He then talked about tax reform.
5:33 p.m. The Senate confirmed the Delrahim nomination by a vote of 73 -21. Nay votes: Democrats: Baldwin, Booker, Cantwell, Cortez Masto, Duckworth, Gillibrand, Harris, Hassan, Heinrich, Kaine, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Murray, Schatz, Schumer, Udall, Warren, Whitehouse and Wyden. Independent: Sanders.
5:03 p.m. The Senate began voting on the nomination of Makan Delrahim to be assistant attorney general.
5:02 p.m. The Senate confirmed the Tarbet nomination by a vote of 87 to 8. Nay votes were independent Sanders and Democrats Gillibrand, Harris, Hirono, Markey, Merkley, Schatz and Warren.
Senators not voting: Cochran, Donnelly, Menendez, Strange and Young.
4:31 p.m. The Senate began voting on the Health Tarbert nomination to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
4:28 p.m. Senator Hatch spoke supporting the Delrahim nomination.
4:18 p.m. Senator Crapo spoke supporting the Heath Target nomination.
4:01 p.m. Senator Warren spoke on corporate consolidation and against the Delrahim nomination.
3:41 p.m. Senator Blumenthal spoke about the hurricane destruction in Puerto Rico, and the Pai nomination.
3:11 p.m. Majority Leader McConnell asked and received unanimous consent that there be 5 hours of debate on the nominations of Heath P. Target to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and Makan Delrahim to be an Assistant Attorney General followed by a vote on confirmation in that order.
2:04 p.m. Senator Perdue spoke about tax reform.
1:44 p.m. Senators Blunt and Capito spoke on tax reform.
1:16 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke about climate change.
12:58 a.m. Senator Coons spoke about health care.
12:47 a.m. Senator Barrasso spoke about tax reform.
11:55 a.m. Senator Merkley spoke about the need for government to be for the people.
11:39 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about tax reform.
11:24 a.m. Senator Cantwell spoke against the nomination of Ajit Pai to another term on the Federal Communications Commission.
11:06 a.m. Senator King spoke about hurricanes and about opiod drugs abuse.
10:50 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about taxes ad about hurricanes.
10:21 a.m. H.R. 3354, Omnibus Appropriations for FY 2018 was read for the second time (rule 14) and was placed on the calendar. ML McConnell spoke about the tax code.
10:00 a.m. The Senate resumed consideration of S. 1519.
***
The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. and will resume consideration of S.1519, a version of the defense bill, only for use as a legislative place-holder. No action is expected on this bill.
Cloture has been filed on these nominations:
— Executive Calendar #312, Ralph R. Erickson, of North Dakota, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit;
— Executive Calendar #251, Ajit Varadaraj Pai, of Kansas, to be a member of the Federal communications Commission.
If no agreement is reached, the cloture vote on the Erickson nomination would occur 1 hour after the Senate convenes on Thursday. If cloture is invoked, there would be up to 30 hours for debate prior to a confirmation vote on Erickson. Upon disposition of the Erickson nomination, there would be a cloture vote on the Pai nomination. Again, if cloture is invoked, there would be up to 30 hours of debate prior to a confirmation vote.
Wednesday votes are possible but unlikely.
