Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Gass3268]

Khizr Khan, two DREAMers, and Al Sharpton are there as guests of Senate Democrats.

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Protesters working hard to make sure sessions gets confirmed

Every one of Trump's choices are going to get confirmed except possibility Tillerson.

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Should be noted that one of the DREAMers is a War in Afghanistan vet.

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Coretta Scott King wrote a letter opposing Sessions’s 1986 federal judge nomination. Unavailable to the public until now. It is scathing.

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Unless a Democrat defects, I don't see how Tillerson gets confirmed.

[Gass3268]

Unless a Democrat defects, I don't see how Tillerson gets confirmed.

I think it will be a 50-50 tie with Pence having the decisive vote in the end.

He may even struggle to get out of committee.

[Gass3268]

Rex Tillerson tells senators he and Trump haven't discussed Russia yet.

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This isn't going to help with the GOP Hawks.

[Gass3268]

Even Bob Corker is contradicting Tillerson:

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[Gass3268]

Little Marco will only act tough but not vote against Trump!

This is my guess as well.

[Gass3268]

If Rubio is a No, isn't Tillerson dead in committee?

Yes

[Gass3268]

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lol

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[Gass3268]

As a Dem I'm glad to see that Tillerson will be confirmed. If the neocons defected Trump would in all likelihood just choose a candidate more acceptable to them, and I'd prefer not to get drafted into Secretary Bolton's march on Tehran.

Tillerson as SoS is bad for the country, period.  Bolton can't even make it out of committee and we're not gonna have a draft again.

Anyone who Trump chooses as SoS is gonna be bad for the country. At this point, it's about minimizing the harms. If Tillerson gets rejected, Trump will pick someone who seems more likely to pass Senate confirmation by appeasing the bloc that rebelled, and whether that's Bolton or some other shriveled neocon husk (Giuliani, Armitage, whatever) that alternative candidate is likely to get the US involved in a few more wars than Tillerson would.

I think a lot of people were hoping for Corker or Romney, but we all know that wasn't going to happen.

[Gass3268]

Lol Rubio

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

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Putting my personal biases aside, they look really bad when they keep on delaying his nominees. This is going to stick with them during midterms and Trump voters won't forget it.

Merrick Garland

[Gass3268]

Murkowski and Collins leaning on voting no for DeCon:

Manu Raju ✔ @mkraju
MURKOWSKI warns that she may NOT support DeVos on the floor. "I would not advise yet that she can count on my vote," via @tomlobianco

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/826476692214542336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Tom LoBianco ✔ @tomlobianco
.@senatorcollins says she will support DeVos in committee, but still deciding on final vote
11:18 AM - 31 Jan 2017

https://twitter.com/tomlobianco/status/826464612031877126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Pence would be needed to break the tie.

[Gass3268]

Murkowski and Collins leaning on voting no for DeCon:

Manu Raju ✔ @mkraju
MURKOWSKI warns that she may NOT support DeVos on the floor. "I would not advise yet that she can count on my vote," via @tomlobianco

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/826476692214542336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Tom LoBianco ✔ @tomlobianco
.@senatorcollins says she will support DeVos in committee, but still deciding on final vote
11:18 AM - 31 Jan 2017

https://twitter.com/tomlobianco/status/826464612031877126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Pence would be needed to break the tie.

Manchin will approve, he said he will vote for all nominees. No big deal.

Im pretty sure all dems are united against DeVos, including Manchin.

I think Price too.

[Gass3268]

Politico: Collins is leaning no on DeVos

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Manchin is a no on DeVos

[Gass3268]

Murkowski is NO. So Pence's first tiebreaker it is. https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly/status/826870465125765127

Depends on if they confirm Sessions first or not.

[Gass3268]

Murkowski is NO. So Pence's first tiebreaker it is. https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly/status/826870465125765127

Depends on if they confirm Sessions first or not.

They've already said yes on Sessions, as has Manchin.

What I meant is if Sessions is confirmed by the Senate before DeVos there will only be 99 Senators, 50 Nay's 49 Ayes.

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Why in the hell did Warner and King vote for Tillerson?

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Virginia would probably be one of the hardest states in the country to run a insurgency primary against a 2 term Senator and former Governor.

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Deb Fischer confirmed she will vote for DeVos. Looks like Pence is going to break the tie.

Is the vote scheduled yet?

Cloture vote Friday (only needs 51 votes), Final vote Monday