5:35pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on confirmation of
Executive Calendar #361, Patricia M. Wald, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board;
Confirmed: 57-41
Next: Live Quorum and Cloture on Executive Calendar #348, Brian Morris, of Montana, to be United States District Judge for the District of Montana. If cloture is invoked, there would be up to 2 hours for debate equally divided prior to a vote on confirmation of the Morris nomination. We expect the Majority's hour to be yielded back.
Remaining votes:
- Confirmation of Morris nomination (7:15-ish tonight range)
- Cloture on Executive Calendar #349, Susan P. Watters, of Montana, to be United States District Judge for the District of Montana
(up to 2 hours for debate);
- Confirmation of Watters nomination (9-ishpm tonight range)
- Confirmation of James nomination
- Cloture on Executive Calendar #444, Heather Anne Higginbottom, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources (8 hours);
- Confirmation of Higginbottom nomination
- Cloture on Executive Calendar #406, Anne W. Patterson, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Ambassador, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Near Eastern Affairs) (8 hours);
- Confirmation of Patterson nomination
- Cloture on Executive Calendar #450, Jeh Charles Johnson, of New Jersey, to be Secretary of Homeland Security (30 hours).
- Confirmation of Johnson nomination