Senate blocked two nominations during rare Saturday session after GOP absences failed to confirm Republicans President Trump
Donald Trump Senators Reach Agreement on Fed Powers, Paving the Way for Coronavirus Emergency Response Nearly 200 Organizations Reportedly Hacked by Russia: Cyber Security Firm Trump Named Sidney Powell as Special Counsel for Election Fraud Investigation: MORE‘s choices.
The Senate rejected both the appointment of Eric Soskin as Inspector General of the Department of Transportation (IG) and the appointment of John Johnson as IG for the Federal Communications Commission.
The two nominations failed to get the majority needed to overcome an initial procedural hurdle in the consecutive 39-48 votes.
The setbacks came after the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Senators Reach Deal Over Fed Powers, Paving the Way for Coronavirus Aid Passage Coronavirus Aid Deal Hinges on Talks Over Fed Lending Powers Senate GOP Absences Hook Trump Nominees MORE (R-Ky.) Took seven nominations – one of which was approved Friday – for the weekend session as discussions on the coronavirus continue.
Only 13 Senators – 12 Republicans and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris Senate GOP Absences Snag Trump Nominees Pressley Calls Georgia GOP Candidates ‘the Bonnie and Clyde of Corruption’ Warren Enters Bill Again to Prevent Lawmakers From Trading Stock MORE, a California Democrat – missed Saturday’s votes, leaving the GOP leadership unable to achieve the simple majority needed to confirm nominations in the face of Democratic opposition.
“We don’t have 12 Republicans here, so we’re going to lose all these votes … I can only say that I hope they have a good weekend,” Sen. Josh Hawley
Joshua (Josh) David Hawley Senators Reach Deal Over Fed Powers, Paving the Way for Coronavirus Emergency Passage Coronavirus Emergency Relief Deal Hinges on Talks Over Fed Lending Powers Senate GOP Absences Hook Trump Nominees MORE (R-Mo.) told reporters.
Her. Roger Wicker
Roger Frederick Wicker Former Mississippi Governor William Winter Dies at 97 Senate GOP Absences Snag Trump Nominees College Athlete Bill of Rights Would Require Revenue Sharing, Cover Medical Expenses MORE (R-Miss.) Noted that while some of the cloture votes fail, others scheduled for Saturday, like the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) nominations, could pass.
Despite the GOP’s absences, the Senate confirmed his first nomination of the day: Thompson Dietz as a judge at the US Court of Federal Claims.
“There is one more cloture vote that can fail, and then there are some TVA votes that can pass,” Wicker said.
He added that Johnson’s nomination was unanimously approved in committee, “but that was a different time.”
The GOP-controlled senate has rarely turned down Trump’s nominees, and Republicans have continued to hold confirmation votes, including for lifelong judicial appointments, after the loss of Trump’s election.
McConnell previously warned senators to expect to sit in session all weekend.
On Saturday, the GOP leader changed his vote to “no” for the failed nominations, a procedural move that will allow him to re-elect in the future.
Wicker said he was sitting on the ground with senators talking about the votes.
There was “a discussion of some nomination votes that will drop today because we have 12 absences, so we will have to file motions to reconsider them and try to bring them back to life,” he said.
The Senate is holding a rare weekend session as the leadership tries to enclose a sweeping year-end package that would link $ 900 billion in coronavirus aid to a $ 1.4 trillion bill to fund the government.
The leadership hopes to reach an agreement early on Saturday evening and submit a text message so that Parliament can vote on Sunday and the Senate can act early next week.
But senators are still negotiating a provision from Sen. Pat Toomey
Patrick (Pat) Joseph Toomey Government Used Patriot Act to Collect Website Visitor Logs in 2019 Appeals Court Rules NSA’s Bulk Phone Data Collection Illegal Dunford Withdraws From Consideration To Chair Coronavirus Monitoring Panel MORE (R-Pa.) To codify the end of a federal emergency loan facility created under the March CARES Act. The language would also prevent the incoming Biden administration from re-creating a similar program.
Democrats argue that the way it is drafted would also remove the Federal Reserve’s emergency powers that were in place before the CARES law. Republicans argue that this is not the intention of the provision.
Senators could be seen on Saturday during intense negotiations on the floor during the votes over the nominations trying to resolve the issue as time ticked.
“It looks like they will both go back to draft their proposals. But it sounds like both sides are trying to get where they need to go,” said Sen. John Cornyn
John Cornyn Coronavirus Deal Hinges On Fed Lending Powers Talks Senate GOP Absences Snag Trump Nominees Congress Approves Bill To Prevent Closure As Coronavirus Talks Enter Weekend MORE (R-Texas).