There is, once again, no real today in Congress. Though there can always be a Today in Congress. And here's this one, to tell you that today, there's no today in Congress.
There was, however, a yesterday, during which the sole roll call recorded was:
- Roll call vote on confirmation of Petraeus to be Director of the CIA, Nomination Confirmed, 94-0.
Personally, I think they should have made him wait until September.
Plenty more was accomplished during the day by unanimous consent, which is really remarkable given that just days ago Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) was threatening to object to every unanimous consent request made, unless Senate Democrats did something or other, blah, blah, blah with their budget proposal that Johnson's going to vote against no matter what. In fact, they got so much done, I couldn't even fit it above the fold. There's a huge list of presidential appointments and military promotions that made it through. I doubt Johnson wanted to be seen getting in the way of military promotions. And perhaps the passage of the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act in the Senate, the die had been cast on this large backlog. In any case, clearing out nominations like this is certainly characteristic of a Senate about to enter a recess.
Or at least a Senate that was planning to enter a recess. At the urging of President Obama, the Senate will forgo its planed week-long Independence Day recess. Of course, they're taking a long weekend. And they're starting that weekend today (though they'll hold a pro forma session). And while they're returning on Tuesday, they may well be gone again by Thursday evening. But whatever, they're coming back when they weren't planning to.
What'll be on the agenda then?
Senate Floor Schedule for Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Senate will convene at 11:30am on Friday, July 1st for a pro-forma session only, with no business conducted.
The Senate will re-convene at 2pm on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar #88, S.J.Res.20, the Kerry-McCain resolution regarding Libya.
The first vote of the week will be on Tuesday, July 5th on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.J.Res.20. Senator Reid announced this vote will run longer than usual to accommodate Senators returning from the Independence Day holiday.
Harry Reid had to file cloture on the motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 20, by the way. So that's how they came to be able to nail down the vote time. It didn't come as the result of any kind of agreement.
So that's what's lined up for the great Independence Day recess that wasn't.
The House is also scheduled to return mid-week, though with the first votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and last votes for the week slated for no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, it's not looking like a great deal is likely to be accomplished on the floor next week. Though that's not really where the bulk of the work lies, at this point.
No committee schedule information below the fold today. Ain't nobody gonna be there.
6/30 Senate wrap-up:
Discharged Judiciary and adopted S.Res.165, designating July 23, 2011 as National Day of the American Cowboy.
Discharged Commerce and adopted S.Res.170: Honoring Admiral Thad Allen of the U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.) for his lifetime of selfless commitment and exemplary service to the United States.
Adopted S.Res.224, congratulating the Soil Science Society of America on its 75th anniversary.
Adopted S.Res.225, congratulating the University of South Carolina baseball team for winning the NCAA Championship.
Confirmed the following Executive Calendar items:
- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR#79 Daniel M. Ashe – Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
- DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY#102 Jenni Rane LeCompte – to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
- DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY#120 David S. Cohen – to be Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes
- DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY#174 Timothy G. Massad – to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
- NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION# 175 Michael S. Devany – to be Rear Admiral (lower half)
- COAST GUARD# 176 Vincent B. Atkins; Robert E. Day, Jr.; John H. Korn; William D. Lee; Stephen E. Mehling; Charles D. Michel; Michael N. Parks; Sandra E. Stosz – to be Rear Admiral Upper Half
- DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE#177 Felicia C. Adams – to be U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi#178 Ronald W. Sharpe – to be U.S. Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands#179 George Lamar Beck, Jr. – to be U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY#180 Richard C. Howorth – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION#181 William Charles Ostendorff – to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- THE JUDICIARY# 186 Wilma Antoinette Lewis – to be Judge for the District Court of the Virgin Islands for a term of ten years
- DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE# 187 Thomas Gray Walker – to be U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina# 188 Charles F. Salina – to be U.S. Marshal for the Western District of New York# 189 Robert William Mathieson – to be U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia# 190 Juan Mattos, Jr. – to be U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey
- EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT#191 Major General Marilyn A. Quagliotti – to be Deputy Director for Supply Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy
- DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE#192 Alfred Cooper Lomax – to be United States Marshal for the Western District of Missouri#193 David L. McNulty – to be United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York
- DEPARTMENT OF STATE#195 Ryan C. Crocker – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
- AIR FORCE #198 to be Lieutenant General, Lt. Gen. Robert R. Allardice; #199 to be Lieutenant General, Maj. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold; #200 to be Lieutenant General, Maj. Gen. Stanley E. Clarke; #201 to be Lieutenant General, Lt. Gen. Paul J. Selva; #202 to be Major General, Brig. Gen. Terrence A. Feehan.
- ARMY #203 to be General, Gen. James D. Thurman; #204 to be Lieutenant General, Lt. Gen. Kathleen M. Gainey; #205 to be Brigadier General, Col. John A. Hammond; #206 to be Major General, Brig. Gen. James T. Walton; #207 to be Major General, Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Jones, Brig. Gen. Richard W. Thomas; #208 to be Major General, Brigadier General Marcia M. Anderson, Brigadier General William G. Beard, Brigadier General Nickolas P. Tooliatos, Brigadier General Jimmie J. Wells, to be Brigadier General, Colonel Margarett E. Barnes, Colonel Robert D. Carlson, Colonel Scottie D. Carpenter, Colonel Allan W. Elliott, Colonel Thomas P. Evans, Colonel Janice M. Haigler, Colonel Kurt A. Hardin, Colonel Kenneth D. Jones, Colonel Christopher R. Kemp, Colonel Michael A. Mann, Colonel James H. Mason, Colonel Cynthia A. O’Connell, Colonel Alan L. Stolte, Colonel George R. Thompson, Colonel Tracy A. Thompson, Colonel Kevin R. Turner, Colonel Bryan W. Wampler;
# 209 to be Lieutenant General, Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber
# 210 to be Brigadier General, Col. A. C. Roper, Jr.
# 211 to be Lieutenant General, Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti
# 212 to be Lieutenant General, Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger
# 213 to be Lieutenant General, Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell
# 214 to be Major General, Brig. Gen. James K. Brown, Jr.
# 215 to be Major General, Brig. Gen. Antonio J. Vicens-Gonzalez
- MARINE CORPS# 216 to be GeneralLt. Gen. John R. Allen
- NAVY# 217 to be Rear Admiral, Rear Adm. (lh) Mark J. Belton
#218 to be Rear Admiral, Rear Adm. (lh) George W. Ballance, Rear Adm. (lh) Robin R. Braun, Rear Adm. (lh) Russell S. Penniman, IV, Rear Adm. (lh) Gary W. Rosholt
#219 to be Rear Admiral (lower half), Capt. Althea H. Coetzee, Capt. Valerie K. Huegel
#220 to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half), Captain Sandra E. Adams, Captain Mark L. Leavitt, Captain Jon G. Matheson, Captain Kerry M. Metz, Captain John F. Weigold
#221 to be Rear Admiral, Rear Adm. (lh) Thomas C. Traaen
#222 to be Rear Admiral, Rear Adm. (lh) William M. Roberts
#223 to be Admiral, Vice Adm. William H. McRaven
#224 to be Rear Admiral (lower half), Capt. John G. King
#225 to be Rear Admiral, Rear Adm. (lh) William E. Leigher
#227 to be Rear Admiral (lower half), Capt. Annie B. Andrews
#228 to be Rear Admiral (lower half), Capt. Robert V. Hoppa
#229 to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half), Captain Richard W. Butler, Captain Matthew J. Carter, Captain Lawrence E. Creevy, Captain Mark W. Darrah, Captain Christopher W. Grady, Captain Michael E. Jabaley, Jr., Captain Colin J. Kilrain, Captain David M. Kriete, Captain Joseph W. Kuzmick, Captain William C. McQuilkin, Captain Victorino G. Mercado, Captain DeWolfe H. Miller, Captain Stuart B. Munsch, Captain Kenneth M. Perry, Captain Fernandez L. Ponds, Captain John C. Scorby, Jr., Captain Dwight D. Shepherd, Captain Michael E. Smith, Captain Richard P. Snyder, Captain Scott A. Stearney, Captain Hugh D. Wetherald
- DEPARTMENT OF STATE# 233 Lewis Alan Lukens, of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Senegal, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
# 234 Kenneth J. Fairfax, of Kentucky, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
# 235 D. Brent Hardt, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
# 236 Donald W. Koran, of California to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Rwanda.
# 237 Geeta Pasi, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Djibouti.
# 238 James Harold Thessin, of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Paraguay.
# 239 Lisa J. Kubiske, of Virginia to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Honduras.
# 240 Michael H. Corbin, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Arab Emirates.
# 241 Jeanine E. Jackson, of Wyoming, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Malawi.
# 242 Matthew H. Tueller, of Utah, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the State of Kuwait.
# 243 Susan Laila Ziadeh, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the State of Qatar.
# 244 Anne W. Patterson, of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Arab Republic of Egypt.
- INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND CANADA
# 245 Dereth Britt Glance, of New York, to be a Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada,
# 246 Richard M. Moy, of Montana, to be a Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada,
- UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT# 247 Ariel Pablos-Mendez, of New York, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
And nominations placed on the Secretary’s Desk in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Foreign Service, and Navy
- Discharged EPW and confirmed: PN341, Major General Michael J. Walsh, US Army, to be a Member and President of the Mississippi River Commission and PN342, Rear Admiral Jonathan W. Bailey, NOAA, to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission
- Discharged HELP and confirmed PN678 Public Health Service nominations beginning with Mary J.W. Choi and ending with Christopher P. Morris.