Thursday, March 7, 2019

 

5:29 p.m. The Senate adjourned until 3 p.m. Monday, when it will resume consideration of the Matey nomination. At 5:30 p.m., cloture petitions will ripen for the Matey, Rao and Beach nominations.

5:15 p.m. During wrap-up, the Senate consented to passage of S.725, to change the address of a postal facility. By voice vote, the Senate passed S.Res.101, supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.

First reading was given for S.729, regarding climate change.

3:46 p.m. Senator Peters spoke about trade.

2:23 p.m. Majority Leader McConnell filed cloture on the following nominations:

  • Paul Matey to be US Circuit Judge for the third circuit.
  • Neomi Rao to be US Circuit Judge for the DC Circuit.
  • William Beach to be Commissioner of Labor Statistics at the Department of Labor.

2:22 p.m. The Senate confirmed the Fleming nomination, 67-30.

Senators voting in favor: 51 Republicans, 15 Democrats (Cardin, Carper, Casey, Coons, Cortez Masto, Duckworth, Feinstein, Hassan, Manchin, Murphy, Reed, Rosen, Schumer, Shaheen and Whitehouse), 1 Independent: King.

Senators voting against: 29 Democrats, 1 Independent:Sanders.

Senator not voting: 2 Republicans: Moran and Perdue, 1 Democrat: Jones.

1:43 p.m. Roll call vote began on the nomination of John Fleming to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.

1:38 p.m Senator Carper spoke in favor of the nomination.

1:33 p.m. Senator Barrasso spoke on the nomination process and particularly the Fleming nomination to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development

1:23 p.m. Senator Cardin spoke on gun background checks.

1:11 p.m Senator Grassley spoke on tax season.

1:10 p.m. The Senate confirmed the Murphy nomination on a party line vote of 52-46.

Senators Jones (D) and Perdue (R) did not vote.

12:36 p.m. The Senate began voting on the nomination of Eric Murphy to be Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.

12:25 p.m.  Senator Brown spoke against the Murphy nomination.

11:07 a.m. Senators Tillis and Cornyn spoke on border control.

10:46 a.m. Senator Murray spoke on health care.

10:40 a.m. Senator Capito spoke in support of the Fleming nomination.

10:32 a.m. Senator Thune spoke about health care.

9:53 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about the Green New Deal. He spoke about election law. He spoke about

9:33 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell placed two measures on the calendar: H.R. 1271, regarding a Veterans Administration program for pre-medical students; H.R. 1381, regarding VA registries.

He spoke about the anti-Semitism measure in the House. He spoke about presidential nominations. He spoke about the House proposal on election law.

*****

The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. and will resume post-cloture consideration of the nomination of Eric E. Murphy to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.

Two votes are scheduled:

  1. 12:30 p.m. – Confirmation of the Murphy nomination.
  2. 1:45 p.m. – Confirmation of the nomination of John Fleming to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development

(Leader McConnell has withdrawn the cloture petition on Fleming)