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

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by Voice Vote:

Calendar #977 Michael Battle to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Republic of Tanzania.
Calendar #1106 William H. Duncan to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of El Salvador.
Calendar #1113 Heide B. Fulton to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.
Calendar #1119 Robert J. Faucher to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Suriname.
Calendar #1257 Rachna Sachdeva Korhonen to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mali.
Calendar #1261 Kenneth Merten to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Bulgaria.
Calendar #1262 Julie D. Fisher to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cyprus.
Calendar #1263 Christopher T. Robinson to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Latvia.
Calendar #1266 Manuel P. Micaller, Jr. to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Tajikistan.
Calendar #1267 Kristina A. Kvien to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia.
Calendar #1268 Henry V. Jardine to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius, and to serve concurrently as Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles.
Calendar #1269 Bijan Sabet to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Czech Republic.
Calendar #1270 George P. Kent to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Estonia.
Calendar #1272 Carol Spahn to be Director of the Peace Corps.
PN2402 Stephen A. Owens to be Chairperson of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years.
PN2249 Catherine J.K. Sandoval to be a Member of Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Mora (Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador) confirmed 51-45:

NAYs ---45
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blackburn (R-TN)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Capito (R-WV)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crapo (R-ID)
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)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)

Not Voting - 4
Burr (R-NC)
Cruz (R-TX)
Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)

Confirmed by voice vote: Executive Calendar #1255 Elizabeth Frawley Bagley to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

[politicallefty]

Douglas confirmed 65-31

I'm not sure what to think about so many Republican Yea votes, but this is the first Biden appointee confirmed to the ultraconservative 5th Circuit. We await a nominee for one of the Texas seats on that circuit. That now leaves only the 8th Circuit without a Biden appointee (or a vacancy for that matter). It's another very brutal circuit for the left and it's quite possible Biden won't get a nominee confirmed on that court during this term. For reference. Trump was unable to get judges confirmed to the 1st and Federal Circuits.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Johnson (Armed Forces Court) confirmed 76-20:

NAYs ---20
Blackburn (R-TN)
Braun (R-IN)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Daines (R-MT)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Johnson (R-WI)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Tuberville (R-AL)

Not Voting - 4
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Cruz (R-TX)
Tillis (R-NC)

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1175 Kendra Davis Briggs to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1176 Errol Rajesh Arthur to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1177 Leslie A. Meek to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1178 Carl Ezekiel Ross to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1179 Laura E. Crane to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1180 Veronica M. Sanchez to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1181 Vijay Shanker to be an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals for the term of fifteen years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1259 Kathleen Ann Kavalec to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Romania.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1260 Jessica Davis Ba to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1294 Henry C. Leventis, of Tennessee, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee for the term of four years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1295 Michael D. Black to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio for the term of four years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1296 Catrina A. Thompson to be United States Marshal for the Middle District of North Carolina for the term of four years.

[NewYorkExpress]

Joe Kennedy III will be named Special Envoy to Northern Ireland.

[Epaminondas]

Joe Kennedy III will be named Special Envoy to Northern Ireland.

Biden giving JK a political lifeline after his Senate run went up in smoke. What's his backstory with the Kennedies?

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Gruenberg (FDIC) confirmed 45-39:

NAYs ---39
Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Capito (R-WV)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crapo (R-ID)
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)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Paul (R-KY)
Portman (R-OH)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)

Not Voting - 16
Barrasso (R-WY)
Burr (R-NC)
Cardin (D-MD)
Cruz (R-TX)
Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kaine (D-VA)
Lummis (R-WY)
Manchin (D-WV)
Moran (R-KS)
Murray (D-WA)
Risch (R-ID)
Sasse (R-NE)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Tillis (R-NC)
Van Hollen (D-MD)

Confirmed by voice vote: Executive Calendar #1297 Kimberly Ann McClain to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Confirmed by voice vote: Executive Calendar #1298 Travis Hill to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for a term of six years.
Confirmed by voice vote: Executive Calendar #1299 Travis Hill to be Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Confirmed by voice vote: Executive Calendar #1300 Jonathan McKernan to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for the remainder of the term expiring May 31, 2024.
Confirmed by voice vote: Executive Calendar #1302 Martin J. Gruenberg to be Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for a term of five years.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Rumbaugh (Assistant Secretary of the Navy) confirmed 80-10:

NAYs ---10
Braun (R-IN)
Daines (R-MT)
Hawley (R-MO)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Marshall (R-KS)
Rubio (R-FL)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)

Not Voting - 10
Baldwin (D-WI)
Burr (R-NC)
Cruz (R-TX)
Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Lummis (R-WY)
Moran (R-KS)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sasse (R-NE)
Wicker (R-MS)

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Shriver, III (Deputy Director of Personnel Management) confirmed 57-35:

NAYs ---35
Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crapo (R-ID)
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)
Johnson (R-WI)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)
Wicker (R-MS)

Not Voting - 8
Barrasso (R-WY)
Burr (R-NC)
Casey (D-PA)
Cruz (R-TX)
Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Moran (R-KS)
Sasse (R-NE)

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #701, Kathy K. Im to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for a term expiring January 31, 2024.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1253, Alan J. Patricof to be a Director of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation for a term expiring December 31, 2022.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1254, Alan J. Patricof to be a Director of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation for a term expiring December 31, 2025.  (Reappointment)
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1256, Cynthia Dyer to be Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, with the rank of Ambassador at Large.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1265, Lucy Tamlyn a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1280, Rubydee Calvert to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for a term expiring January 31, 2028.  (Reappointment)
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1283, Robert E. Primus to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board for a term expiring December 31, 2027.  (Reappointment)
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1284, Diane Susan Kaplan to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for a term expiring January 31, 2026.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1235, Gene Rodrigues to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability).

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Tracy (Ambassador to Russia) confirmed 93-2:

NAYs ---2
Lee (R-UT)
Paul (R-KY)

Not Voting - 5
Barrasso (R-WY)
Burr (R-NC)
Cruz (R-TX)
Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Lummis (R-WY)

[emailking]

A pretty important job right now.

[Epaminondas]

Why this change? Is it a custom to replace all the ambassadors named under the predecessor?

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Why this change? Is it a custom to replace all the ambassadors named under the predecessor?

Yes

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1195 Richard L. Revesz to be Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1171 Alexis Taylor to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1189 L. Michelle Moore to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2026.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1190 Robert P. Klein to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2026.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1191 William J. Renick to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2027.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1192 Adam Wade White to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2027.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1193 Joe H. Ritch to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2025.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1200 Beth Pritchard Geer to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2026.

[Sestak]

Why this change? Is it a custom to replace all the ambassadors named under the predecessor?

Not quite. There are ambassadors who are “political” that work that way; these are generally close allies or donors to the incumbent President. However, this is usually restricted to countries with which we have reliably good relations, so the actual Ambassador doesn’t have to deal with too much beyond formalities.

However, most ambassadors (especially ones on sensitive missions such as Russia) are career foreign service officials. These ambassadors are usually appointed for an implied term of three years. The previous ambassador was nominated in 2019 and stepped down earlier this year.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Schaefer (Assistant Secretary of the Army) confirmed 68-26:

NAYs ---26
Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Daines (R-MT)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Toomey (R-PA)
Tuberville (R-AL)

Not Voting - 6
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Burr (R-NC)
Cramer (R-ND)
Cruz (R-TX)
Shelby (R-AL)

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #995 Evelyn Wang to be Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Department of Energy.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #774 Sara C. Bronin to be Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation for a term expiring January 19, 2025.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #451 Howard A. Van Vranken to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Botswana.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1258 Joey R. Hood to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Tunisia.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #768 Jainey Kumar Bavishi to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1281 Sue Ellen Moore to be a Member of the Marine Mammal Commission for a term expiring May 13, 2023.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1282 Andrew J. Read to be a Member of the Marine Mammal Commission for a term expiring May 13, 2025.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Parker (Assistant Secretary of the Navy) confirmed 70-22:

NAYs ---22
Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Johnson (R-WI)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Rubio (R-FL)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Tuberville (R-AL)

Not Voting - 8
Barrasso (R-WY)
Burr (R-NC)
Cramer (R-ND)
Graham (R-SC)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sasse (R-NE)
Tillis (R-NC)

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #763 Rebecca E. Jones Gaston to be Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1136 Douglas J. McKalip to be Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1153 Milancy Danielle Harris to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.
Confirmed by voice vote: Exec. Cal. #1169 Jose Emilio Esteban to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety.
Confirmed by voice vote: PN2225 Terrence Edwards to be Inspector General of the National Reconnaissance Office, Department of Defense.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

The 117th Senate is adjourned sine die. All nominations pending on the floor or in any committee are considered to have been rejected. All nominations must be resubmitted and go through committee again in the 118th.

[politicallefty]

It looks like Cardin is the one holding up the 4th Circuit vacancy for the MD seat. Link:

Judge Diana Gribbon Motz, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, announced her retirement more than a year ago, and made it effective in September 2022. But Biden and Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland’s senior senator, have been at odds over a successor, and the White House apparently does not want to more forward without Cardin’s backing. Herwig would not comment on that vacancy, and a Cardin spokeswoman said the senator was awaiting word from the White House on his suggested nominees.

The 4th is down to a 7D-6R majority with two vacancies. The South Carolina seat nominee should be confirmed rather shortly after the Senate gets back to business. The nominee for that seat passed the Judiciary Committee 13-9 last month.

I don't know the exact procedure for nominees that had hearings and committee votes (at least those that did not deadlock) last year, but from what I understand, there is some sort of expedited procedure to get them to the full Senate.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

It looks like Cardin is the one holding up the 4th Circuit vacancy for the MD seat. Link:

Judge Diana Gribbon Motz, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, announced her retirement more than a year ago, and made it effective in September 2022. But Biden and Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland’s senior senator, have been at odds over a successor, and the White House apparently does not want to more forward without Cardin’s backing. Herwig would not comment on that vacancy, and a Cardin spokeswoman said the senator was awaiting word from the White House on his suggested nominees.

The 4th is down to a 7D-6R majority with two vacancies. The South Carolina seat nominee should be confirmed rather shortly after the Senate gets back to business. The nominee for that seat passed the Judiciary Committee 13-9 last month.

I don't know the exact procedure for nominees that had hearings and committee votes (at least those that did not deadlock) last year, but from what I understand, there is some sort of expedited procedure to get them to the full Senate.

Hearings are not re-held, but the nominees still need to go through Markup again (which because of minority holds, takes two meetings). Nominees will thus begin reaching the floor again on February 2.

[politicallefty]

Hearings are not re-held, but the nominees still need to go through Markup again (which because of minority holds, takes two meetings). Nominees will thus begin reaching the floor again on February 2.

In other words, they all need another vote? If so, for those that tied in committee last term it's safe to assume they will not need discharge petitions this year.

I'm also wondering when we're going to find out the makeup and balance of the Senate Judiciary Committee for this Congress. With the new expanded majority and a Senator from each side retiring (Leahy and Sasse), I suppose it's likely to see a replacement for Leahy but not Sasse. Assuming no Democrats leave the committee, I wonder who will be the new addition.