Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Senate adjourned at 7:25 p.m. and will reconvene on December 1st at 2pm.   Next votes will be at 5:30 pm on Dec 1 on cloture motions for the nominations of:

Cal 892 – Noah Mamet, CA, to be Ambassador to Argentine Republic

Cal 631- Coleen Bell, CA, Ambassador to Hungary

 

Cloture was filed on the following nominations (in addition to the two listed above):

Cal 772 Nani Coloretti, CA, Dep Secy of HUD

Cal918 Robert Adler, DC, Commissioner, CPSC

Cal 1069 Charlotte Burrows, DC, Member, EEOC

Cal 1067 P. David Lopez, AZ, General Counsel, EEOC

 

The following were confirmed without objection in Executive Session:

Cal  663,671-672, 923

And all Foreign Service Nominations at the desk.

 

The following bills were passed without objection:

HR 669 – SIDS awareness (as amended Harkin)

HR 6067 – Outpatient services rural hospitals

HR 5441 – Veterans charter/woman service officers

HR 5728 – Amending the Communications Act – Satellite TV

SRes 580 – National Adoption Month

SRes 583 – Safe Driver Day November 30th

SRes 588 – access to hospitals – rural patients

SRes 589 – Menino, Mayor of Boston

SRes 590 – Native American Heritage Month

HJ Res 124 – Date to reconvene 114th Congress

H Con Res 119 – Adjournment Resolution for 11/20/14 until 12/1/14

 

 

NO FURTHER VOTES THIS WEEK

5:20 p.m. Senator Murphy spoke on healthcare.

5:10 p.m. Senator Hatch gave a tribute to a departing member of his staff.

4:50 p.m. Senator McConnell gave a tribute to a departing member of his staff.

3:30 p.m. Senator Johanns spoke on Oklahoma Governor Dave Heineman.

3:29 p.m. The following nominations were confirmed by voice vote:

James Pettit to be Ambassador to Moldova.
Pamela Spratlen to be Ambassador to Uzbekistan.
Tamara Ashford to be a Judge of the US Tax Court.
Paige Marvel to be a Judge of the US Tax Court.
Cary Pugh to be a Judge of the US Tax Court.
Ramin Toloui to be a Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury.
Lisa Mensah to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development.
George Krol to be Ambassador to Kazakhstan.
Luis Moreno to be Ambassador to Jamaica.
Donald Lu to be Ambassador to Albania.
Brent Hartley to be Ambassador to Slovenia.                                                                   Robert Speer to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army.

3: 22 p.m. The Bolden nomination was confirmed 49-46.

2:49 p.m. The Arleo and Beetlestone nominations were confirmed by voice vote.

2:48 p.m. Sannes nomination confirmed 96-0.

2:29 p.m. Pepper nomination confirmed 95-0.

2:00 p.m.  The first in a series of five roll call votes began on nomination of Pamela Pepper to bea US District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

1:53 p.m. Senator Leahy spoke about the President’s immigration order.

1:47 p.m. Senator Baldwin spoke in favor of the Pepper nomination.

1:43 p.m. Senator Johnson of Wisconsin spoke in favor of Pamela Pepper’s nomination to the federal court for the Eastern District of their state.

1:03 p.m. Senator Walsh acheived a UC to add Executive Calender #1008 to the list of nominations to be confirmed by voice vote later today.  The nomination is John Speer to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army.

11:52 a.m. Senator Grassley spoke about rural health and tax extenders.

11: 32 a.m. Senator Cruz spoke about immigration.

11:00 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke on the President’s immigration order.

10:51 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke on the President’s immigration order.

10:37 a.m Senator Isakson gave a tribute to Herman J. Russell and former Georgia governor Carl Sanders.

10:18 a.m Senator Portman spoke on Russia in the Ukraine.

10:02 a.m. Senator Cardin spoke on the synagogue killings in Israel.

9:41 a.m. Senator McConnell spoke on the President’s immigration order.

9:33 a.m. ML Reid gave a tribute to Senate financial clerk Chris Doby.

The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. and proceed to a period of morning business until 2:00pm.  At 2:00pm, proceed to Executive Session to 5 roll call votes on the following nominations:

  1. Executive Calendar #928, Pamela Pepper to be a US district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
  2. Executive Calendar #930, Brenda Sannes to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York.
  3. Executive Calendar #1032, Madeline Arleo to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey.
  4. Executive Calendar #1033, Wendy Beetlestone to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
  5. Executive Calendar #1034, Victor Bolden to be United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut.

Following these roll call votes, the Senate will proceed to the following nominations, which are all expected to be confirmed by voice vote:

  1. James Pettit to be Ambassador to Moldova.
  2. Pamela Spratlen to be Ambassador to Uzbekistan.
  3. Tamara Ashford to be a Judge of the US Tax Court.
  4. Paige Marvel to be a Judge of the US Tax Court.
  5. Cary Pugh to be a Judge of the US Tax Court.
  6. Ramin Toloui to be a Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury.
  7. Lisa Mensah to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development.
  8. George Krol to be Ambassador to Kazakhstan.
  9. Luis Moreno to be Ambassador to Jamaica.
  10. Donald Lu to be Ambassador to Albania.
  11. Brent Hartley to be Ambassador to Slovenia.