Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Why's Hirono voting against all the cloture motions but none of the actual nominations?

You should email her about that.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Jerome Powell, nominee for Chair of the Federal Reserve, passes CLOTURE 84-12:

NAYs ---12
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Cruz (R-TX)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Lee (R-UT)
Markey (D-MA)
Merkley (D-OR)
Paul (R-KY)
Sanders (I-VT)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 4
Corker (R-TN)
McCain (R-AZ)
Scott (R-SC)
Tillis (R-NC)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Powell confirmed 84-13:

NAYs ---13
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Cruz (R-TX)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Lee (R-UT)
Markey (D-MA)
Merkley (D-OR)
Paul (R-KY)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sanders (I-VT)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 3
Corker (R-TN)
McCain (R-AZ)
Scott (R-SC)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Alex Azar, HHH Chair Nominee, passes CLOTURE 54-43:

NAYs ---43
Baldwin (D-WI)
Bennet (D-CO)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Casey (D-PA)
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)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Paul (R-KY)
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
Corker (R-TN)
McCain (R-AZ)
Scott (R-SC)

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[Sestak]

Can we PLEASE switch to marking the flips instead of the Noes for these closer votes?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

^ I do the Nos/Abstentions for everything just to keep things consistent on the thread, if you want the full summary then find the appropriate vote here: https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_115_2.htm

If you don't mind, then I'll probably quote each of your vote posts to highlight who crossed party lines. It's probably the first thing people want to know.

If you want to give yourself extra work, go ahead.

[Sestak]

Alex Azar, HHH Chair Nominee, passes CLOTURE 54-43:

Democratic Ayes:
Carper
Coons
Donnelly
Heitkamp
Jones
King (I)
Manchin

GOP No:
Paul

GOP Not Voting:
Corker
McCain
Scott

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Azar confirmed 55-43. Only change from CLOTURE VOTE was Scott switching from Abstain to AYE.

Brownback passes CLOTURE 50-49. Party Line Vote with Pence breaking the tie.

Not Voting - 2
Corker (R-TN)
McCain (R-AZ)

[Sestak]

Azar confirmed 55-43. Only change from CLOTURE VOTE was Scott switching from Abstain to AYE.

Brownback passes CLOTURE 50-49. Party Line Vote with Pence breaking the tie.

Not Voting - 2
Corker (R-TN)
McCain (R-AZ)

The state of Kansas breathes a sigh of relief.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Campbell confirmed 97-0:

Not Voting - 3
Cruz (R-TX)
Isakson (R-GA)
McCain (R-AZ)

Parker passes CLOTURE 96-1:

NAYs ---1
Hirono (D-HI)

Not Voting - 3
Cruz (R-TX)
Isakson (R-GA)
McCain (R-AZ)

Wait, did Pocohontas, Gillibrand and Booker vote yes for both of these guys?  They normally wouldn't vote to confirm Jesus Christ to a post.

[Sestak]

Campbell confirmed 97-0:

Not Voting - 3
Cruz (R-TX)
Isakson (R-GA)
McCain (R-AZ)

Parker passes CLOTURE 96-1:

NAYs ---1
Hirono (D-HI)

Not Voting - 3
Cruz (R-TX)
Isakson (R-GA)
McCain (R-AZ)

Wait, did Pocohontas, Gillibrand and Booker vote yes for both of these guys?  They normally wouldn't vote to confirm Jesus Christ to a post.

Yeah, I think that that stretch of nominees was so uncontroversial that the 2020ers even voted for it. Only Hirono voted no on each of the cloture votes (though not the actual nominations) for some reasin,

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Brownback confirmed, with no change from the CLOTURE VOTE.

The following vote previously scheduled for today has been rescheduled for 1:45pm tomorrow:

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[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

James confirmed 89-1:

NAYs ---1
Sanders (I-VT)

Not Voting - 10
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Burr (R-NC)
Casey (D-PA)
Corker (R-TN)
Durbin (D-IL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Moran (R-KS)
Risch (R-ID)
Toomey (R-PA)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Cal. #474, Jonathan Pittman to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The nomination is confirmed by a Voice Vote.

Next Nominee to be considered:

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[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Stras passes CLOTURE 57-41:

NAYs ---41
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)
King (I-ME)
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)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 2
McCain (R-AZ)
Nelson (D-FL)

Cal. #497, Gregory E. Maggs to be a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Confirmed by Voice Vote.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Stras confirmed 56-42. Changes from the CLOTURE vote were Nelson going from Abstain to No and Capito going from Aye to Abstain.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Cal. #297, Matthew Bassett, of Tennessee, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. The nomination was confirmed by voice vote.

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[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Iancu confirmed 94-0:

Not Voting - 6
Alexander (R-TN)
Cochran (R-MS)
Heinrich (D-NM)
McCain (R-AZ)
Peters (D-MI)
Toomey (R-PA)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #599 Barbara Stewart to be Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service
Exec. Cal. #602 Brett Giroir to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service, and to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

The following @SenateCommerce nominations were confirmed by voice vote:
Cal. #155 - Sullivan to be an Assistant Sec. of Transp. 
Cal. #261 - Batory to be Admin. of the Federal Railroad Admin.
Cal. #469 - Martinez to be Admin. of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #586 Margaret Weichert to be Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #617 Joel Danies to be Ambassador of the U.S. to the Gabonese Republic, and to serve concurrently as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #667 Peter Vrooman to be Ambassador of the U.S. to the Republic of Rwanda

U.S. Marshals Confirmed by Voice Vote: Cal. #590 Arflack (East. District KY); Cal. #591 Kamatchus (South. District IA); Cal. #643 Baylous (South. District WV); Cal. #644 McKittrick (North. District MS); Cal. #682 Jolley (East. District TN); Cal. #683 Griffin, Jr. (SC)

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #472 Neil Jacobs to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce @CommerceGov

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #661 Holly Greaves to be Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency @EPA

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #465 John Demers to be an Assistant Attorney General @TheJusticeDept

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #359 John Mitnick to be General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security @DHSgov

SASC Nominations Confirmed by Voice Vote: Cal. #662 Gibson II; Cal. #645 Henderson; Cal. #646 Griffin; Cal. #647 Roper; Cal. #648 Bayer; Cal. #684 Gordon-Hagerty; Cal. #685 Fahey; Cal. #687 Ayres

Confirmed by Voice Vote: Exec. Cal. #663 Melissa Burnison to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs) @ENERGY

U.S. Attorneys Confirmed: Cal. #588 Brown (East. District TX); Cal. #589 Krueger (East. District WI); Cal. #642 Durham (CT); Cal. #677 Anderson (NM); Cal. #678 Fremin (Middle District LA); Cal. #679 Kelly (NE); Cal. #680 Murray (NH); Cal. #681 Weiss (DE)

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Next Nominees to be considered:

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[Chancellor Tanterterg]

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

[NewYorkExpress]

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

The Democrats should be trying to reinstate the fillibuster, then fillibustering everyone.