Biden Cabinet Confirmation Live Thread ***hearings, votes, etc.***

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I'm honestly sick and tired of treating someone who voted with Trump more often than not, voted for 80% of his judges, and already has or plans to cast several deciding votes against the dems in this congress, as a Democrat. We need to kick him out of the caucus.

Sounds like a good way to ensure McConnell can block Covid relief and prevent Breyer from retiring.

Oh, haven't you heard!? Joe Manchin's just itching to kill the COVID relief stimulus package (that no legitimate Republican even supports) even though he's already come out in support of it, AND then he's gonna personally shoot Justice Breyer with his own NRA-provided shotgun just to open up his seat & save it for when McConnell returns to the majority leadership. Of course, even though Manchin is obviously a secret Republican at heart, he's doing all of this without switching parties & actually putting McConnell in charge so he can do all of these things - & more - that Manchin has made very clear in public that he doesn't actually wanna do. It almost makes TOO MUCH sense!!

Well if we can't kick him out, then we need to take away his committee chairmanship. This treachery should not go unpunished.

23,978 posts on a political forum & you don't know how politics works. It's honestly a shame, really.

When Republicans held majorities in Congress, they repeatedly stripped members of committee assignments when they repeatedly did not do as they were told on the floor. Democrats should do the same.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I wonder what the odds are that Manchin and Murkowski end up abstaining on Tanden, thus making it so she gets confirmed with a 49-49 vote. Murkowski ended up doing that with Kavanaugh...

IIRC, Murk voted no on Kavanaugh; I don’t think she abstained.

She technically voted no, but she paired her vote with Steve Daines who had to attend his daughter's wedding, so she was recorded as "present".

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Doesn't really make up for Tanden but at least Manchin is behaving himself today.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I agree they should stick by her. Force the Republicans & Manchin to vote her down.

Agreed. Has the added effect of giving us a recent ironclad case to point to of Manchin voting against the party line in a meaningful way and makes his persistent disloyalty clearer than ever.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I agree they should stick by her. Force the Republicans & Manchin to vote her down.

Agreed. Has the added effect of giving us a recent ironclad case to point to of Manchin voting against the party line in a meaningful way and makes his persistent disloyalty clearer than ever.

You're both really overestimating the extent to which your typical Democratic-partisan-on-the-street cares about the Office of Management and Budget.

Meh, I mainly just want this forum to shut up about their theory of Manchin being this amazing strategist who carefully plans every move to ensure he never truly denies Schumer anything. 

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Judiciary: Hearing on Monaco for Deputy Attorney General and Gupta for Associate Attorney General on March 9

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Becerra reported to the floor on a vote of 14-14. Due to the tie vote, there will need to be an additional floor vote to formally discharge the nomination before it can be considered.

Tai, Adeyemo reported to the floor by voice vote.

https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Session%20on%20March%203,%202021.pdf

(Becerra's HELP hearing was just a courtesy thing, that committee doesn't need to take any action)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Becerra reported to the floor on a vote of 14-14. Due to the tie vote, there will need to be an additional floor vote to formally discharge the nomination before it can be considered.

Tai, Adeyemo reported to the floor by voice vote.

https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Session%20on%20March%203,%202021.pdf

(Becerra's HELP hearing was just a courtesy thing, that committee doesn't need to take any action)

Why is the Finance Committee rather than HELP in charge of HHS nominations?

Stupid Senate jurisdiction rules

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

https://mobile.twitter.com/mkraju/status/1367499001440968707

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Interesting that Fudge got so many GOP votes given some of her past comments

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1369704231385636866

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Does it usually take this long to nominate and confirm everyone? I know Biden didn't really have a normal transition and it wasn't even clear he'd have a majority in the Senate until January 6, but at the current rate it doesn't seem like we'll have everyone confirmed (when you include ambassadors, etc.) until the end of the year.

Pretty sure Trump never really had a complete team confirmed if you include all the ambassadors. Unsure about Obama but if he did it was only briefly in like 2011-12.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1372625427911561223?s=20
https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1372625504503742468?s=20

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Next List:

Cal. #32 Young to be Deputy OMB Director
Cal. #39 Murthy to be Surgeon General
Cal. #40 Levine to be an Assistant HHS Secretary
Cal. #38 Turk to be Deputy Secretary of Energy
Cal. #30 Adeyemo to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I hope you're happy with this annoying fake moderate, ME voters.

She just literally saved Becerra dude (with Hirono out Dems didn't have the votes on their own). She voted for Haaland as well. She's anything but the partisan warrior that Atlas makes her out to be.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I hope you're happy with this annoying fake moderate, ME voters.

She just literally saved Becerra dude (with Hirono out Dems didn't have the votes on their own). She voted for Haaland as well. She's anything but the partisan warrior that Atlas makes her out to be.

No, she didn’t

Hirono would’ve just given another Democrat her proxy if necessary.

Proxy voting is not a thing in the Senate (at least on the floor).

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I hope you're happy with this annoying fake moderate, ME voters.

She just literally saved Becerra dude (with Hirono out Dems didn't have the votes on their own). She voted for Haaland as well. She's anything but the partisan warrior that Atlas makes her out to be.

No, she didn’t

Hirono would’ve just given another Democrat her proxy if necessary.

Proxy voting is not a thing in the Senate (at least on the floor).

They couldn't have waited?

Sure, but unless Hirono's going to be back quickly, Schumer would have had to wait until after the Easter Recess.
Also it might have required repeating some steps again since the GOP might have objected to a UC request to extend post cloture debate, meaning Schumer would have to file a motion to reconsider and then invoke Cloture again.

I hope you're happy with this annoying fake moderate, ME voters.

She just literally saved Becerra dude (with Hirono out Dems didn't have the votes on their own). She voted for Haaland as well. She's anything but the partisan warrior that Atlas makes her out to be.

No, she didn’t

Hirono would’ve just given another Democrat her proxy if necessary.

Proxy voting is not a thing in the Senate (at least on the floor).

I’m pretty sure it is (it definitely was in the 1950s, at the very least) and even if it no longer is, Hirono would’ve been there if we needed her vote or they’d have held it on a day she could be there.

So you referred to a Senate rule from 70 years ago to make your point? LOL

In the modern day, proxy voting is only a thing in committees as far as the Senate is concerned: https://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/proxy_voting.htm

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Walsh confirmed 68-29:

NAYs ---29
Barrasso (R-WY)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Ernst (R-IA)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lummis (R-WY)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)

Not Voting - 3
Blackburn (R-TN)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Toomey (R-PA)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Tammy Duckworth Threatens To Block Biden Nominees Over Lack Of AAPI Representation
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tammy-duckworth-aapi-nominees_n_605a416bc5b66a80f4eb9619

More on Duckworth's pledge - She will still vote for Minorities and LGBTQ - but if it's a straight white man or woman, she's voting No.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Young passes CLOTURE 62-38:

NAYs ---38
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Capito (R-WV)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)

Young confirmed 63-37:

NAYs ---37
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Capito (R-WV)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)

Murthy passes CLOTURE 57-43:

NAYs ---43
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Burr (R-NC)
Capito (R-WV)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)


Murthy confirmed by the same 57-43 vote.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

6.8% of the total U.S. population is AAPI. There are 25 members of the Biden Cabinet: 2 of said members - the VP & the USTR (who's a member of the Cabinet as it's currently constituted because, yes, Cabinet-level counts) are AAPI, meaning 8% of the Biden Cabinet is AAPI. Biden pledged to appoint a Cabinet that "looked like America." What's the issue here?

Neither the US trade Rep nor the VP is a cabinet secretary as Duckworth is defining the term.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

6.8% of the total U.S. population is AAPI. There are 25 members of the Biden Cabinet: 2 of said members - the VP & the USTR (who's a member of the Cabinet as it's currently constituted because, yes, Cabinet-level counts) are AAPI, meaning 8% of the Biden Cabinet is AAPI. Biden pledged to appoint a Cabinet that "looked like America." What's the issue here?

Neither the US trade Rep nor the VP is a cabinet secretary as Duckworth is defining the term.

Narrowly defining the term in order to suit an incorrect narrative ought to be her problem, not Joe Biden's.

Apparently according to her if it's not someone who has the word "secretary" in their job title, the AAPI community won't get or appreciate that it's a high ranking official...

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Apparently according to her if it's not someone who has the word "secretary" in their job title, the AAPI community won't get or appreciate that it's a high ranking official...

That's not what she said.

https://mobile.twitter.com/mkraju/status/1374444638006747142
This is a very valid point.

Hirono at the very least seemed to articulate exactly what I said:

"What I said was, I shared the position that AAPI community has that there hasn't been a significant number of AAPIs at the Cabinet level," Hirono said. "I realize that we have Katherine Tai, but I don't think the trade representative is what the community understands as a Cabinet level."


https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/23/politics/duckworth-hirono-aapi-nominees/index.html

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Levine passes CLOTURE 52-48

R Ayes: Collins, Murkowski

Turk passes CLOTURE 98-2:

NAYs ---2
Hawley (R-MO)
Paul (R-KY)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Levine passes CLOTURE 52-48

R Ayes: Collins, Murkowski

Turk passes CLOTURE 98-2:

NAYs ---2
Hawley (R-MO)
Paul (R-KY)

Why do you list Manchin as a Republican?

Because I do not consider him to be a Democrat these days.