Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Christopher Wray looks like he's headed towards a very easy confirmation for FBI Director, with some Democrats already coming out in support. Will it be unanimous? No idea. Yes it does feel kind of wrong for there to be such little hassle over replacing Comey giving the circumstances of his firing, but I'll admit that Wray is hardly the worst choice. I went in apprehensive, but from what I've heard I more or less believe he can be trusted to be independent and not interfere in Mueller's investigation.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/13/democrats-support-quick-wray-vote-240533

I think he'll get in excess of 75 votes for confirmation.  And I"m sure the vote will be fast-tracked since there is no full time Director right now.

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

At 5:30 p.m on July 17 the Senate will VOTE on cloture on Exec. Cal. #157, Patrick Shanahan, of WA, to be Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Shanahan has passed CLOTURE 88-6:

NAYs ---6
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Markey (D-MA)
Sanders (I-VT)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 6
Duckworth (D-IL)
Ernst (R-IA)
Flake (R-AZ)
Heller (R-NV)
McCain (R-AZ)
Wicker (R-MS)

12:15 PM tomorrow: FINAL VOTE on Shanahan

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

Shanahan confirmed 92-7:

NAYs ---7
Booker (D-NJ)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Markey (D-MA)
Sanders (I-VT)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 1
McCain (R-AZ)

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

At approximately 10:30 a.m tomorrow, the Senate will VOTE on cloture on Exec. Cal. #170, John Kenneth Bush, of KY, to be U.S Circuit Court Judge.

[The Other Castro]

White House just officially announced that Trump intends to nominate Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

White House just officially announced that Trump intends to nominate Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia.

I'm a little surprised Huntsman would willingly tie himself to this dumpster fire of an administration.

[SoLongAtlas]

White House just officially announced that Trump intends to nominate Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia.

I'm a little surprised Huntsman would willingly tie himself to this dumpster fire of an administration.

Huntsman has always been more service before self oriented but it helps him in a future potus run. Also good for triangulation between US-Russia-China. He was the former ambassador to China.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

White House just officially announced that Trump intends to nominate Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia.

I'm a little surprised Huntsman would willingly tie himself to this dumpster fire of an administration.

Huntsman has always been more service before self oriented but it helps him in a future potus run. Also good for triangulation between US-Russia-China. He was the former ambassador to China.

Yeah he's a good choice, really.

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

At approximately 10:30 a.m tomorrow, the Senate will VOTE on cloture on Exec. Cal. #170, John Kenneth Bush, of KY, to be U.S Circuit Court Judge.

Bush passes CLOTURE 51-48:

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)
Franken (D-MN)
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)
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)

FINAL VOTE on Bush tomorrow.

[Badger]

Wait a minute. I thought McConnell lifted the 2/3 requirement for a cloture vote on only Supreme Court judicial nominees. Has he done it for ALL judicial nominees?

[Nhoj]

Wait a minute. I thought McConnell lifted the 2/3 requirement for a cloture vote on only Supreme Court judicial nominees. Has he done it for ALL judicial nominees?

Did he at some point restore it?

[Santander]

Wait a minute. I thought McConnell lifted the 2/3 requirement for a cloture vote on only Supreme Court judicial nominees. Has he done it for ALL judicial nominees?

That was Dirty Harry Reid's doing.

[Badger]

Wait a minute. I thought McConnell lifted the 2/3 requirement for a cloture vote on only Supreme Court judicial nominees. Has he done it for ALL judicial nominees?

Did he at some point restore it?

Sorry, what do you mean restore it? Again, I thought he had lifted the two-thirds requirement solely for Supreme Court nominees, not all judicial bench nominees. Was I mistaken and a simple majority is all that is needed for all judicial nominees now?

[Nhoj]

Wait a minute. I thought McConnell lifted the 2/3 requirement for a cloture vote on only Supreme Court judicial nominees. Has he done it for ALL judicial nominees?

Did he at some point restore it?

Sorry, what do you mean restore it? Again, I thought he had lifted the two-thirds requirement solely for Supreme Court nominees, not all judicial bench nominees. Was I mistaken and a simple majority is all that is needed for all judicial nominees now?

I was under the impression Reid eliminated cloture for lower court nominees.

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

Red eliminated it for all nominees except SCOTUS, McConnell eliminated it for SCOTUS.

[The Other Castro]

They still have to go through the motions of having cloture votes, even if it only requires a simple majority now.

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

They still have to go through the motions of having cloture votes, even if it only requires a simple majority now.

They can actually skip over it, but only through unanimous consent, which Dems have only granted for Mattis, Kelly, Shulkin, and McMahon.

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

Tomorrow's events:

At 12:15 p.m the Senate will VOTE on confirmation of Exec. Cal. #170, John Kenneth Bush, of KY, to be U.S Circuit Court Judge.

At 1:45 p.m the Senate will VOTE on cloture on Exec. Cal. #100, David Bernhardt, of VA, to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

[Virginiá]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/19/trump-nominees-lose-patience-vetting-240736

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Trump's administration continuing to blame everyone but themselves for their own problems. Seriously, this is like one of the basic components of his presidency: staffing. And he can't even get that right.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Christopher Wray has made it out of committee with a unanimous vote of approval.   So other than Booker, Warren and Gillibrand, he should sail his way into the position.

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

Bush confirmed 51-47:

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)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
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)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warner (D-VA)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 2
McCain (R-AZ)
Stabenow (D-MI)

Bernhardt passes CLOTURE 56-39:

NAYs ---39
Baldwin (D-WI)
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)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Hirono (D-HI)
Kaine (D-VA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
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)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warner (D-VA)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 5
Leahy (D-VT)
McCain (R-AZ)
Moran (R-KS)
Sasse (R-NE)
Stabenow (D-MI)

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

At 5:30 p.m on July 24, the Senate will VOTE on confirmation of Exec. Cal. #100, David Bernhardt, to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

[NewYorkExpress]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/07/21/trump-to-tap-longtime-coal-lobbyist-for-epas-number-two-spot/?utm_term=.ea367e51e0e4

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[Tintrlvr]

White House just officially announced that Trump intends to nominate Jon Huntsman as ambassador to Russia.

I'm a little surprised Huntsman would willingly tie himself to this dumpster fire of an administration.

Huntsman has always been more service before self oriented but it helps him in a future potus run. Also good for triangulation between US-Russia-China. He was the former ambassador to China.

Because he speaks fluent Mandarin and has focused a lot of his career on China and ethnic Chinese countries, though. In addition to being ambassador to China, he was also ambassador to Singapore and worked in the Commerce Department on East Asia trade issues under George H.W. Bush and was a Mormon missionary in Taiwan as a young adult. Odd choice for Russia, really. He has no Russia expertise.

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

Bernhardt confirmed 53-43:


NAYs ---43
Baldwin (D-WI)
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)
Franken (D-MN)
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)
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)
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 - 4
Alexander (R-TN)
Capito (R-WV)
McCain (R-AZ)
Toomey (R-PA)