Trump Cabinet confirmation hearings **live commentary thread**

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Scott Brown has been confirmed as Ambassador to New Zealand by a vote of 94 to 4:

NAYs ---4
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Schatz (D-HI)

Not Voting - 2
Alexander (R-TN)
Menendez (D-NJ)

I didn't even know he was looking for a post

That wench Gillibrand voting no is no surprise, but Warren voted yes?

Yeah. Warren (and Sanders) seem to want to give Trump a pass on certain low-profile nominees, while Gillibrand is insistent on voting no on every nominee (except for Shulkin who is a democrat and Haley because "She took down the confederate flag! Yahoo!")

We appreciate your hard work in this thread, friend.  Always up to date news.

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

At 5 PM on Monday, there will be a vote to confirm Kenneth Rapuano to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.

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

Rapuano confirmed 95-1:

NAYs ---1
Sanders (I-VT)

Not Voting - 4
Burr (R-NC)
Perdue (R-GA)
Risch (R-ID)
Stabenow (D-MI)

And yes, in a shock decision, Gillibrand voted for this nominee.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Rapuano confirmed 95-1:

NAYs ---1
Sanders (I-VT)

Not Voting - 4
Burr (R-NC)
Perdue (R-GA)
Risch (R-ID)
Stabenow (D-MI)

And yes, in a shock decision, Gillibrand voted for this nominee.

Bernie tows the line but Warren again a yes?

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

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

Update on Long nomination: https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom/status/876898078841810944

Following the disposition of the Long nomination, there will be a CLOTURE vote on the nomination of Sigal Mandelker, to be Under Secretary of Terrorism and Federal Crimes.

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

Long has been confirmed by a vote of 95-4:

NAYs ---4
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Schatz (D-HI)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 1
Graham (R-SC)

Mandelker has passed CLOTURE by a vote of 94-5:

NAYs ---5
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Sanders (I-VT)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 1
Graham (R-SC)


FINAL VOTE on Mandelker tomorrow.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

FBI Director nominee removed reference to case involving Russian government from law firm bio
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/20/politics/kfile-fbi-nominee-law-firm-bio/index.html

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So much winning!

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

Yesterday, Mandelker was confirmed 96-4:

NAYs ---4
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Warren (D-MA)



After that, a CLOTURE motion on Marshall Billingslea to be Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing passed 65-34:

NAYs ---34
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Markey (D-MA)
McCain (R-AZ)
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)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 1
Leahy (D-VT)

FINAL VOTE on Billingslea later today.

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

Billingslea confirmed 65-35:

NAYs ---35
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
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)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

The Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Kristine L. Svinivki, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has passed 89-10:

NAYs ---10
Booker (D-NJ)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heller (R-NV) (!)
Markey (D-MA)
Merkley (D-OR)
Sanders (I-VT)
Warren (D-MA)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 1
Alexander (R-TN)

FINAL VOTE on Svinivki Monday.

[NewYorkExpress]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40378981

President Trump announced he will nominate New York Jets owner Woody Johnson to serve as Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Johnson endorsed Jeb Bush in the primaries, drawing a mocking tweet from Trump, but they appear to have made up.

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

Svinivki confirmed 88-9:

NAYs ---9
Booker (D-NJ)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heller (R-NV)
Markey (D-MA)
Merkley (D-OR)
Sanders (I-VT)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 3
Flake (R-AZ)
Isakson (R-GA)
Strange (R-AL)

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

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[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I doubt Booker, Gillibrand or Warren would vote yes if Trump nominated a fellow Democrat.  But they're #winning.

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

I doubt Booker, Gillibrand or Warren would vote yes if Trump nominated a fellow Democrat.  But they're #winning.

Each of them has voted for someone. Both Booker and Warren voted for Mattis, for instance, and Gillibrand voted for Haley. But they will vote against most nominees so that they have an extensive anti-trump record to show off in the 2020 presidential election campaign.

[Mr. Morden]

But they will vote against most nominees so that they have an extensive anti-trump record to show off in the 2020 presidential election campaign.

Yeah, here are the six Senators who have the lowest "Trump score" (meaning they "vote with Trump" the least, according to 538):

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/?ex_cid=rrpromo

Gillibrand 7.0%
Sanders 9.3%
Warren 9.3%
Merkley 11.6%
Booker 11.6%
Harris 14.0%

I'm sure it's just a coincidence that that's a list of people who are apparently thinking about running for president! 

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

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

Rao passes CLOTURE 59-36:

NAYs ---36
Baldwin (D-WI)
Bennet (D-CO)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Casey (D-PA)
Coons (D-DE)
Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Duckworth (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Hassan (D-NH)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Kaine (D-VA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Leahy (D-VT)
Markey (D-MA)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murphy (D-CT)
Murray (D-WA)
Peters (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)
Schatz (D-HI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 5
Durbin (D-IL)
Hirono (D-HI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)

The senate now stands adjourned until July 10.

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

Rao confirmed 54-41:

NAYs ---41
Baldwin (D-WI)
Bennet (D-CO)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
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)
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)
Van Hollen (D-MD)
Warner (D-VA)
Warren (D-MA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 5
Murkowski (R-AK)
Portman (R-OH)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Tillis (R-NC)
Udall (D-NM)

The nomination of David Nye to be a United States District Judge for the District of Idaho has passed CLOTURE 97-0:

Not Voting - 3
Murkowski (R-AK)
Portman (R-OH)
Sullivan (R-AK)


FINAL VOTE on Nye tomorrow Wednesday.

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

Nye has been confirmed by a vote of 100-0. He is the first nominee since Former Obama Appointee Shulkin to receive a 100-0 Vote.

The nomination of William Francis Hagerty, IV to be Ambassador to Japan has passed CLOTURE 89-11.


NAYs ---11
Booker (D-NJ)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Merkley (D-OR)
Peters (D-MI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Warren (D-MA)


1:45 PM Tomorrow: FINAL VOTE on Hagerty

[Alabama_Indy10]

I doubt Booker, Gillibrand or Warren would vote yes if Trump nominated a fellow Democrat.  But they're #winning.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

But they will vote against most nominees so that they have an extensive anti-trump record to show off in the 2020 presidential election campaign.

Yeah, here are the six Senators who have the lowest "Trump score" (meaning they "vote with Trump" the least, according to 538):

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/?ex_cid=rrpromo

Gillibrand 7.0%
Sanders 9.3%
Warren 9.3%
Merkley 11.6%
Booker 11.6%
Harris 14.0%

I'm sure it's just a coincidence that that's a list of people who are apparently thinking about running for president! 

heh. Yeah. My first thought on seeing Booker's name on the list was "yeah, he's definitely running".

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

Hagerty confirmed 86-12:

NAYs ---12
Booker (D-NJ)
Brown (D-OH)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harris (D-CA)
Heinrich (D-NM)
Hirono (D-HI)
Merkley (D-OR)
Peters (D-MI)
Sanders (I-VT)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-NM)
Warren (D-MA)

Not Voting - 2
McCaskill (D-MO)
Moran (R-KS)

[The Other Castro]

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

[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.