7:10 p.m. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. Thursday, when it will resume post-cloture consideration of the Farr nomination.
6:46 p.m. Senator Portman talked about the fight against addiction.
6:10 p.m. Senator Shaheen spoke about climate change.
5:56 p.m. Senator Markey spoke about climate change.
5:27 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke about climate change.
5:11 p.m. Senator Hirono spoke about health insurance and the Farr nomination.
4:52 p.m. Senator Nelson spoke about health insurance.
4:35 p.m. Senator Carper spoke about climate change.
4:26 p.m. The Senate agreed on the motion to discharge from the Foreign Relations Committee S.J.Res.54 by a vote of 63-37. All Dems/IND in favor. GOP voting in favor: Alexander, Cassidy, Collins, Corker, Daines, Flake, Graham, Lee, Moran, Murkowski, Paul, Portman, Toomey and Young.
3:58 p.m. The Senate is now voting on S.J. Res. 54, Yemen War Powers Resolution.
3:40 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke about Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
3:28 p.m. Senator Sanders spoke about Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
3:17 p.m. Senator Lee spoke about Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
2:56 p.m. Senator Reed spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
2:51 p.m. Senator Young spoke about S.J. Res. 54.
2:40 p.m. Senator Peters spoke against the nomination of Kathleen Kraninger to be the head of the CFPB.
2:25 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke on S.J. Res. 54.
2:00 p.m. Senator Leahy spoke on the Farr nomination.
1:45 p.m. Senator Murphy spoke on S.J. Res. 54.
1:42 p.m. The Senate invoked cloture on the Farr nomination by a vote of 51 to 50 with VP Pence breaking the tie. Senator Flake voted NO. Senator Portman announced that there will be a vote at 4 p.m. on the motion to discharge S.J.Res.54 . Senator Sanders was then recognized and made the motion to discharge.
12:56 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the nomination of Thomas Farr to be a US District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
12:55 p.m. The Senate confirmed the nomination of Karen Kelley to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce by a tally of 62-38.
Senators voting in favor: 50 Republicans, 11 Democrats: Casey, Donnelly, Heitkamp, Jones, Manchin, McCaskill, Nelson, Schatz, Shaheen and Tester; 1 Independent: King.
Senators voting against:36 Democrats; 1 Independent: Sanders.
12:17 p.m. Roll call vote began on the nomination of Karen Kelley to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce..
12:15 p.m. Senator Flake made a unanimous consent request that the Senate pass S. 2644 (Special Counsel protection). Senator Lee objected.
12:05 p.m. Senators Coons, Booker and Flake spoke about the bill to protect the Special Counsel.
12:00 p.m. The Senate reconvened and resumed consideration of Karen Dunn Kelley to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce.
10:58 a.m. The Senate has recessed until 12:00 p.m. for an all senators briefing on Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
10:29 a.m. Senator Sanders spoke about Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
10:18 a.m. Senator Blunt spoke about Russia and the Ukraine.
10:02 a.m. Senator Schumer spoke about China as well as Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
9:46 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke about gun violence.
9:32 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about the Senators briefing on Yemen and Saudi Arabia as well as the Senate’s priorities for the end of the session.
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The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. Following leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Karen Dunn Kelley, of Pennsylvania, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce, with the time until 11:00 a.m. equally divided.
The Senate will recess from 11:00am until 12:00 Noon to allow for an all-senators briefing.
All post-cloture time will expire at 12:15 p.m. and the Senate will vote on confirmation of the Kelley nomination. Upon disposition of the Kelley nomination, there will be a cloture vote on the Farr nomination.
The Senate could also consider a motion to discharge S.J.Res.54 during Wednesday’s session.
As a reminder, Senator McConnell has also filed cloture on the following nominations:
- Executive Calendar #1141, Jonathan A Kobes, of South Dakota, to be US Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit; and
- Executive Calendar #1064, Kathleen Laura Kraninger, of Ohio, to be Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
Each cloture motion will ripen upon disposition of the previous one and each is subject to up to 30 hours of post-cloture debate time.