Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

The Democrats shouldn't be letting anyone get confirmed by voice vote, honestly.

US Marshals and US Attorneys are always remarkably non-controversial choices, but you have a point on at least some of the rest. I definitely wouldn't consent to letting the EPA CFO or the Homeland Sec. Counsel avoid a formal floor vote.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

The Democrats shouldn't be letting anyone get confirmed by voice vote, honestly.

US Marshals and US Attorneys are always remarkably non-controversial choices, but you have a point on at least some of the rest. I definitely wouldn't consent to letting the EPA CFO or the Homeland Sec. Counsel avoid a formal floor vote.

The point is to slow everything down so they accomplish as little as possible and some of Trump’s US Attorney nominees have been pretty bad.

[KingSweden]

The Democrats shouldn't be letting anyone get confirmed by voice vote, honestly.

US Marshals and US Attorneys are always remarkably non-controversial choices, but you have a point on at least some of the rest. I definitely wouldn't consent to letting the EPA CFO or the Homeland Sec. Counsel avoid a formal floor vote.

The point is to slow everything down so they accomplish as little as possible and some of Trump’s US Attorney nominees have been pretty bad.

I suppose the thinking is that the shoe will eventually be on the other foot

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Branch passes CLOTURE 72-22:

NAYs ---22
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murray (D-WA)
Peters (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Warren (D-MA)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 6
Corker (R-TN)
Heller (R-NV)
Jones (D-AL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Rounds (R-SD)
Sullivan (R-AK)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Cal. #387, William Northey to be Under Secretary for Farm and Agricultural Services for the Department of Agriculture. Confirmed by Voice Vote.


Vote to confirm Branch at 4 ET, followed by motion to invoke cloture on Vought.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Branch confirmed 73-23:

NAYs ---23
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Peters (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Warren (D-MA)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 4
Jones (D-AL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Rounds (R-SD)
Sullivan (R-AK)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Vought passes CLOTURE 49-48:

NAYs ---48
Baldwin (D-WI)
Bennet (D-CO)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Coons (D-DE)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Donnelly (D-IN)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Heitkamp (D-ND)
Hirono (D-HI)
Kaine (D-VA)
King (I-ME)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Leahy (D-VT)
Manchin (D-WV)
Markey (D-MA)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Peters (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Smith (D-MN)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warner (D-VA)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Jones (D-AL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Rounds (R-SD)

[Sestak]

Who is Russell Vought and why are Dems voting in lockstep against him?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Who is Russell Vought and why are Dems voting in lockstep against him?

Nominee for Deputy OMB, it's apparently because of some comments he made regarding Muslims.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Vought confirmed 49-49 with Pence breaking the tie. Only change from CLOTURE vote is Jones switching from Abstain to No.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Quattlebaum passes CLOTURE 69-29:

NAYs ---29
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Casey (D-PA)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Peters (D-MI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (D-MN)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warren (D-MA)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 2
McCain (R-AZ)
Rounds (R-SD)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Quattlebaum confirmed 69-28:

NAYs ---28
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Casey (D-PA)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Peters (D-MI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (D-MN)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warren (D-MA)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Flake (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
Rounds (R-SD)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Scholer passes CLOTURE 96-1:

NAYs ---1
Hirono (D-HI)

Not Voting - 3
Flake (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
Rounds (R-SD)

Self passes CLOTURE 85-12:

NAYs ---12
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hirono (D-HI)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Peters (D-MI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 3
Flake (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
Rounds (R-SD)

Doughty passes CLOTURE 94-2:

NAYs ---2
Hirono (D-HI)
Merkley (D-OR)

Not Voting - 4
Cardin (D-MD)
Flake (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
Rounds (R-SD)


Final votes on these three nominees will take place beginning at 5:30 ET Monday.

[Sestak]

CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHY HIRONO ALWAYS VOTES AGAINST CLOTURE BUT OFTEN NOT AGAINST THE NOMINATION

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHY HIRONO ALWAYS VOTES AGAINST CLOTURE BUT OFTEN NOT AGAINST THE NOMINATION

I DON’T KNOW!  WHY ARE YOU USING ALL CAPS?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHY HIRONO ALWAYS VOTES AGAINST CLOTURE BUT OFTEN NOT AGAINST THE NOMINATION

I DON’T KNOW!  WHY ARE YOU USING ALL CAPS?

Didn't I tell you to email her about that if you really cared, Sestak?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

The following nominations were considered, en bloc:
Cal. #398, Gregory Doud to be Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade Representative.
Cal. #399, Jason Kearns to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission.
Cal. #698, Dennis Shea to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative.
Cal. #699, CJ Mahoney to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative.
Confirmed, en bloc, by Voice Vote.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Scholer confirmed 95-0:

Not Voting - 5
Cruz (R-TX)
Heitkamp (D-ND)
McCain (R-AZ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Sullivan (R-AK)

Self confirmed 85-11:

NAYs ---11
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Peters (D-MI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 4
Cruz (R-TX)
McCain (R-AZ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Sullivan (R-AK)


Tomorrow, Immediately following a procedural vote on the Dodd Frank Partial Repeal: Final Vote on the Doughty nomination

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #397 Jeffrey Gerrish to be a Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Industrial Competitiveness), with the rank of Ambassador

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Doughty confirmed 98-0:

Not Voting - 2
Feinstein (D-CA)
McCain (R-AZ)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #688 Michael Rigas to be Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #689 Jeff Tien Han Pon to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

U.S. Attorneys Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #695 McGregor Scott to be U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California; Exec. Cal. #716 Billy Williams to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon

U.S. Marshals Confirmed by Voice Vote: Gary Schofield to be U.S. Marshal for the District of NV; Mark James to be U.S. Marshal for the Western District of MO; Daniel Mosteller to be U.S. Marshal for the District of SD; Jesse Seroyer, Jr. to be U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of AL

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Cal. #298 (Gilbert Kaplan to be Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade). The nomination was confirmed by voice vote.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Following passage of S. 2155 (Dodd Frank Repeal) later today, the Senate will proceed to a Motion to invoke cloture on Exec. Cal. #598 Kevin McAleenan to be Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

McAleenan passes CLOTURE 79-19:

NAYs ---19
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Cardin (D-MD)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Kaine (D-VA)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murray (D-WA)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 2
Heinrich (D-NM)
McCain (R-AZ)

Final Vote Monday

--------------

PN1357, Jeffrey DeWitt to be Chief Financial Officer of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Confirmed by Voice Vote.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

McAleenan confirmed 77-19:

NAYs ---19
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Cardin (D-MD)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Kaine (D-VA)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 4
Burr (R-NC)
McCain (R-AZ)
Roberts (R-KS)
Toomey (R-PA)


Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #471 Nazakhtar Nikakhtar to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce