Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Torrain]

So what did this guy do? Sexual abuse or corruption or both seem to be the hallmarks of Trumpists.

Current reports suggest:
- creating a ‘negative work environment’
- improper distribution of prescription drugs
- drinking on the job

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #765 Lt. Gen Paul M. Nakasone to be General (Commander, U.S. Army Cyber Command)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Duncan confirmed 50-47:

NAYs ---47
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)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Heitkamp (D-ND)
Hirono (D-HI)
Jones (D-AL)
Kaine (D-VA)
King (I-ME)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Leahy (D-VT)
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
Duckworth (D-IL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Paul (R-KY)

------

Next nominations to be considered:

Mike Pompeo to be SOS
Richard Grenell to be Ambassador to Germany

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

VOTES SCHEDULED: At 12:00pm on Thursday, April 26th, the Senate will vote:
1. Motion to invoke cloture on Exec. Cal. #788 Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State
2. Confirmation of Exec. Cal. #788 Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State (if cloture is invoked)
@StateDept

VOTES SCHEDULED: At 1:45pm on Thursday, April 26th, the Senate will vote:
1. Motion to invoke cloture on Exec. Cal. #619 @RichardGrenell to be Ambassador of the U.S. to the Federal Republic of Germany
2. Confirmation of the Grenell nomination (if cloture is invoked)
@StateDept

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Pompeo up 46-29 right now.  I haven't heard any unusual votes.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

A couple Democrats (including Nelson) vote Aye, and he is confirmed.  Currently 52-36.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Pompeo passes CLOTURE 57-42:

NAYs ---42
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)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Kaine (D-VA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Leahy (D-VT)
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)
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 - 1
McCain (R-AZ)

Pompeo confirmed by the same margin.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

I'm sure the GOP would willingly confirm a toilet brush for SoS.

[GMantis]

Tester has to be commended, considering his home state. Also I wonder what Angus King's excuse is for voting to confirm.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

The republicans always scream about how "corrupt" the government is, but they have a total disregard for basic government checks such as congressional oversight. Tester did the right thing, and the GOP can go to hell.

[Pandaguineapig]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

Or maybe it's just because he's a terrible nominee and red state democrats need to get reelected?

[Pandaguineapig]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

Or maybe it's just because he's a terrible nominee and red state democrats need to get reelected?

Yeah no, he is objectively qualified for the post but less qualified appointments have been confirmed quicker with more D support. I wonder why😉

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

Or maybe it's just because he's a terrible nominee and red state democrats need to get reelected?

Yeah no, he is objectively qualified for the post but less qualified appointments have been confirmed quicker with more D support. I wonder why😉

Because qualified is a subjective term.

[Pandaguineapig]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

Or maybe it's just because he's a terrible nominee and red state democrats need to get reelected?

Yeah no, he is objectively qualified for the post but less qualified appointments have been confirmed quicker with more D support. I wonder why😉

Because qualified is a subjective term.

Yes because the previous ambassador was qualified as a goldman sachs executive, but a long time national security advisor is unqualified?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

Seek help

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

Or maybe it's just because he's a terrible nominee and red state democrats need to get reelected?

Yeah no, he is objectively qualified for the post but less qualified appointments have been confirmed quicker with more D support. I wonder why😉

Because qualified is a subjective term.

Yes because the previous ambassador was qualified as a goldman sachs executive, but a long time national security advisor is unqualified?

Mr. Grenell has a history of making disparaging comments against prominent women in both political parties.

[Pandaguineapig]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

Seek help

Why is it that female and minority republicans always face the most visceral reactions from the left? If Grenell were straight he would have been confirmed in November with at least 70 votes and you know it

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

The CLOTURE motion on Grenell was withdrawn. Grenell was confirmed 56-42:

NAYs ---42
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)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Kaine (D-VA)
King (I-ME)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Leahy (D-VT)
Markey (D-MA)
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)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warner (D-VA)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 2
Duckworth (D-IL)
McCain (R-AZ)

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

Seek help

Why is it that female and minority republicans always face the most visceral reactions from the left? If Grenell were straight he would have been confirmed in November with at least 70 votes and you know it

You mean like Donald Trump, Dick Cheney, Paul Ryan, Jeff Sessions, Steve Bannon, and Scott Pruitt?  Also, I'm pretty sure 99.99% of Democrats don't know, much less care, that Grenell was gay.  I certainly didn't until you brought it up, but again...you know...who cares about his sexual orientation?  Also ROTFL at the idea that Grenell gets anything even remotely resembling a visceral reaction from the left.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #621 Yleem D. S. Poblete to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Verification and Compliance) @StateDept

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #789 Thomas Hushek to be Ambassador of the U.S. to the Republic of South Sudan; Exec. Cal. #790 Kirsten Madison to be an Assistant Secretary of State (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs) @StateDept

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #774 Kenneth Barbic to be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture @USDA

U.S. Attorney’s Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #768 Timothy Garrison to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of MO; Exec. Cal. #769 Kenji Price to be U.S. Attorney for the District of HI Exec. Cal. #784 Nicola Hanna to be U.S. Attorney for the Central District of CA

U.S. Marshals Confirmed by Voice Vote: Cal. #770 Bittick (Middle Dist., GA); Cal. #771 Lyons (Southern Dist., GA); Cal. #772 Ostermiller (Dist. of MT); Cal. #785 Gladden (Middle Dist., NC); Cal. #786 Heffner (Central Dist., IL); Cal. #787 Short (District of ME)

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #821 Jon Peede to be Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Humanities @NEHgov

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #773 Hannibal Ware to be Inspector General, @SBAgov


Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #775 Joseph Falvey, Jr. to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims @DeptVetAffairs

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #776 Paul Lawrence to be Under Secretary for Benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs @DeptVetAffairs

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

FTC Nominations Confirmed by Voice Vote: Cal. #710 Rohit Chopra; Cal. #711 Noah Phillips; Cal. #712 Joseph Simons; Cal. #713 Christine Wilson; Cal. #714 Christine Wilson; Cal. #825 Rebecca Slaughter

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Cal. #757 Andrea Thompson to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security

The Senate stands adjourned until May 7th.

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

Next nominations to be considered:

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[Fight for Trump]

Richard Grenell just got confirmed 56-42, the months long blocking of his confirmation just go to show the tribal mindset that democrats have when members of groups they feel they own leave the plantation

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Englehardt passes CLOTURE 64-31:

NAYs ---31
Baldwin (D-WI)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Casey (D-PA)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Durbin (D-IL)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Kaine (D-VA)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Peters (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Smith (D-MN)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 5
Duckworth (D-IL)
Graham (R-SC)
Isakson (R-GA)
McCain (R-AZ)
Merkley (D-OR)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Votes Scheduled: At 12:00pm tomorrow, 5/9, the Senate will vote on the following:
1. Confirmation of Cal. #673 Kurt Engelhardt to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit
2. Motion to invoke cloture on Cal. #690 Michael Brennan to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit