Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Maxwell]

lul wut Coons.

[Axel Foley]

Is Pompeo so bad? I listened to his hearing, and my impression of him wasn't negative at all...he seemed to me at least a loyal and trustworthy person( to your Nation, obviously, not to Trump)...maybe I don't know him fully?

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Carson makes it out of committee as well.  Ugh.

Unanimously even. He made it clear he was willing to work with the members of the committee on whatever issues were important to them, and had studied up on things before the hearing enough that anyone hoping he'd be embarrassed as an ignoramous was going to be disappointed.

Is Pompeo so bad? I listened to his hearing, and my impression of him wasn't negative at all...he seemed to me at least a loyal and trustworthy person( to your Nation, obviously, not to Trump)...maybe I don't know him fully?

The issue was mainly things he had said in the past about torture and surveillance.  Also some concern with the written answers he gave.

[KingSweden]

Is Pompeo so bad? I listened to his hearing, and my impression of him wasn't negative at all...he seemed to me at least a loyal and trustworthy person( to your Nation, obviously, not to Trump)...maybe I don't know him fully?

Some concerns about previous remarks and his general fundie-ness. Some lefties think he wants a holy war with Islam, which I have seen no evidence of. Trump could have picked way worse and the CIA rank and file from what I heard are onboard with him

[Mr. Morden]

Out of curiosity, Paul's vote against confirmation for Pompeo was the first time a Senator voted against confirmation for a Cabinet (or "Cabinet level") pick from his own party since....when?  Did any Dems vote against any Obama Cabinet choices?  Any Republicans vote against any Bush Cabinet choices?

[Mr. Morden]

Btw, Paul wrote an op/ed explaining his vote against Pompeo:

http://rare.us/story/rand-paul-why-i-voted-against-the-new-cia-director/

[Santander]

Congratulations soon-to-be Secretary Ben Carson!

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Out of curiosity, Paul's vote against confirmation for Pompeo was the first time a Senator voted against confirmation for a Cabinet (or "Cabinet level") pick from his own party since....when?  Did any Dems vote against any Obama Cabinet choices?  Any Republicans vote against any Bush Cabinet choices?

that would be since Obama nominated Brennan for that same position.  Leahy and Merkley voted nay.

Others for Obama include Tim Geithner's confirmation: Byrd, Feingold and Harkin voted nay
11 Democrats voted against Bernanke for the Fed, Ben Nelson voted against Kagan for SC, and Byrd voted against Kind for Trade Rep.

(Sanders also voted Nay on all of these except Kagan, and against Lew and Pritzker)

https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/six_column_table/Obama_cabinet.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmations_of_Barack_Obama's_Cabinet

[Xing]

Senator Cantwell has announced that she will vote NO on DeVos:

https://twitter.com/SenatorCantwell/status/824779768218411008

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Out of curiosity, Paul's vote against confirmation for Pompeo was the first time a Senator voted against confirmation for a Cabinet (or "Cabinet level") pick from his own party since....when?  Did any Dems vote against any Obama Cabinet choices?  Any Republicans vote against any Bush Cabinet choices?

Sanders, Byrd, and Harkin voted against Geithner.

[The Other Castro]

Heitkamp is a NO on DeVos btw.

[publicunofficial]

Schumer is a NO on DeVos, Mulvaney, Tillerson, Sessions, Price, Mnuchin, Pruitt, and Puzder.

[justfollowingtheelections]

I disagree with Rand Paul on 99% of issues but at least he commits to his beliefs, and I can be certain that his ideas are HIS ideas.

Well they're his father's ideas, not his, but he does have his heart in the right place, and isn't corrupt like a lot of other politicians.

[publicunofficial]

I disagree with Rand Paul on 99% of issues but at least he commits to his beliefs, and I can be certain that his ideas are HIS ideas.

Well they're his father's ideas, not his, but he does have his heart in the right place, and isn't corrupt like a lot of other politicians.

We all get our ideas from someone else.

[President Johnson]

Schumer is a NO on DeVos, Mulvaney, Tillerson, Sessions, Price, Mnuchin, Pruitt, and Puzder.

Agree with him except for Tillerson. Not the best choice (Huntsman or Corker would be better from the GOP side), but far superior to guys like Bolton. I'd vote aye on Rex.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Schumer is a NO on DeVos, Mulvaney, Tillerson, Sessions, Price, Mnuchin, Pruitt, and Puzder.

Agree with him except for Tillerson. Not the best choice (Huntsman or Corker would be better from the GOP side), but far superior to guys like Bolton. I'd vote aye on Rex.

I do agree that Huntsman would be better than Tillerson, but I'd take him over Corker.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Schumer is a NO on DeVos, Mulvaney, Tillerson, Sessions, Price, Mnuchin, Pruitt, and Puzder.

Agree with him except for Tillerson. Not the best choice (Huntsman or Corker would be better from the GOP side), but far superior to guys like Bolton. I'd vote aye on Rex.

Kinda like saying you'd rather get shot instead of getting burned alive. Why not force the President to be accountable and nominate someone who isn't terrible?

[Mr. Morden]

Senate currently debating Tillerson, and is supposed to vote on a motion to proceed to the vote within minutes, though I'm unclear if there would still then be a separate vote for the nomination itself later in the week.

Chao is supposed to be voted on tomorrow, and I guess a slew of others (including, I think, Sessions, Price, DeVos, and Perry) are to be voted on in committee tomorrow, but not yet on the Senate floor.

[The Other Castro]

A separate vote on Tillerson for confirmation by the Senate appears likely to take place later in the week.

[Mr. Morden]

The motion to proceed to a vote on Tillerson's nomination is currently ahead 51-43, and that's good enough for it to pass.  A few more votes to count before it's over, but it's cleared the 50 vote threshold it needs already.

[Mr. Morden]

It sounded like Heitkamp, Warner, and Angus King all voted in favor, along with all the Republicans, but don't quote me on that because I might have misheard one or more of those.  I assume Manchin has/will vote in favor as well, though I didn't hear his vote.  Maybe he's one of the people yet to vote.

UPDATE: Manchin voted in favor.

[The Other Castro]

Morden, the names you listed are correct.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Manchin and Heitkamp clearly looking for a leg up in their 2018 re-election bids here.

[Mr. Morden]

https://twitter.com/SarahMMimms/status/826450051434176515

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[The Other Castro]

Committee votes are planned for today for Sessions, Perry, Zinke, Price, Mnuchin, and DeVos, as well as a full Senate floor vote for Chao (who may get unanimous support).