5:50 p.m. The Senate adjourned and will reconvene for the following pro forma sessions:
Friday, October 6th at 10:30am
Tuesday, October 10th at 9:15am
Friday, October 13th at 8:30 am
On Monday, October 16th they will convene at 4:00 p.m. and will resume consideration of the nomination of Calista Gingrich to be the ambassador to the Holy See. A vote on the nomination will occur at 5:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, October 17th at 10:30 a.m. they will vote on David Joel Trachtenberg, to be Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
During Thursday’s wrap-up:
Legislative Business
Adopted S.Res.287: designating October 8, 2017, as “National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day”.
Adopted S.Res.288, designating the week of October 1 through 7, 2017, “National Community Policing Week”.
Adopted S.Res.289: designating the week beginning on October 8, 2017, as “National Wildlife Refuge Week”.
Adopted S.Res.290: designating October 5, 2017, as “Energy Efficiency Day”.
Passed Calendar #109, S.692: Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act, with committee-reported substitute.
Passed Calendar #221, S.1103: Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act of 2017.
Passed S.1595: Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2017, with Rubio substitute amendment.
Executive Business
Confirmed the following nominations:
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Executive Calendar #360 Bruce J. Walker to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability)
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Executive Calendar #327 Stephen B. King to be Ambassador of the United States of America to the Czech Republic.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Executive Calendar #332 Barbara Lee to be Representative of the United States of America to the Seventy-second Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Executive Calendar #333 Christopher Smith to be Representative of the United States of America to the Seventy-second Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
Executive Calendar #337 J. Steven Dowd to be United States Director of the African Development Bank for a term of five years.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Executive Calendar #365 Timothy Gallaudet to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Executive Calendar #366 Howard R. Elliott to be Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Executive Calendar #367 Walter G. Copan to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
4:52 p.m. Senator Merkley spoke about wildfires and FEMA.
4:45 p.m. Senator Murkowski asked for Unanimous Consent to proceed to FERC nominees. A Democratic Senator objected.
4:35 p.m. Senator Klobuchar spoke about gun safety and also spoke about CHIP.
4:17 p.m. Senator Sullivan spoke about the Alaskan of the Week, Pastor Alonzo Patterson.
4:04 p.m. Senator Schatz spoke about tax reform and healthcare.
2:51 p.m. Senators Heitkamp and Murkowski spoke about violence against Native American women.
2:29 p.m. Senator Peters spoke supporting CHIP.
2:23 p.m. Senator Hoeven spoke about tax reform.
2:22 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the Gingrich nomination by a vote of 75 to 20. 25 Democrats and 1 Independent (King) voted in favor. Senators Cochran, Cortez Masto, Heller, McCain, and Nelson did not vote.
1:41 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Callista L. Gingrich to be Ambassador to the Holy See.
1:15 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke on Puerto Rico.
1:01 p.m. Senator Brown spoke about Equifax.
12:48 p.m. Senator Lankford spoke about the Intelligence Committee investigation into Russian interference with 2016 Presidential Election.
12:40 p.m. Senator Lee spoke about the passing of Elder Robert Hales.
12:22 p.m. Senator Flake spoke about border security and DACA.
12:08 p.m. Senator Capito spoke about tax reform and small businesses.
11:59 a.m. Senator Bennett spoke about the Las Vegas tragedy and gun violence.
11:50 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about tax reform.
11:49 a.m. The Senate confirmed the Cissna nomination 54-53. (4 Democrats voted yes, Senators Donnelly, Heitkamp, Manchin, and McCaskill)
11:11 a.m. The Senate is now voting on confirmation of Cissna nomination.
11:10 a.m. The Senate invoked cloture on the Cissna nomination by a vote of 54 to 43. 4 Democrats vote yes: Donnelly, Heitkamp, Manchin, and McCaskill. Cochran, Cortez Masto and Heller did not vote.
10:48 a.m. The Senate began voting on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #119, Lee Francis Cissna, to be Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
10:45 a.m. The Senate then confirmed the Quarles nomination to be Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve by voice vote.
10:44 a.m. The Senate confirmed the Quarles nomination by a vote of 65-32.
- 14 Democrats voted yes (Senators Bennett, Cardin, Carper, Coons, Donnell, Heitkamp, Manchin, McCaskill, Nelson, Peters, Shaheen, Tester, Van Hollen, and Warner) 1 Independent voted yes (Senator King) 50 Republicans voted yes.
- 31 Democrats and 1 Independent (Sanders) voted no.
- 3 Senators did not vote (Senators Cochran, Cortez-Masto, and Heller)
10:09 a.m. The Senate began voting on the Quarles nomination.
10:07 a.m. Senator Crapo spoke in favor of the Quarles nomination.
10:02 a.m. Senator Warren spoke against the Quarles nomination.
9:41 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about Las Vegas and about guns.
9:38 a.m. The Senate resumed consideration of the Quarles nomination. Senator Hatch spoke in favor of the nomination.
9:33 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about taxes.
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The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. Thursday and will resume consideration of the Quarles nomination.
At 10 a.m., there will be 3 roll call votes:
- Confirmation of the nomination of Randal Quarles to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
- Cloture on the nomination of Lee Francis Cissna to be Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services;
- Confirmation of Cissna.
At 1:45 p.m., there will be a cloture vote on the nomination of Callista L. Gingrich to be Ambassador to the Holy See.
The confirmation vote on the Gingrich nomination has been scheduled for Monday, October 16th at 5:30 p.m.