This Week in the Senate: 4/29/2019

This week, the Senate is holding votes on eight nominations, and the Judiciary Committee will convene a nominations hearing and an executive business meeting.

Floor Action:
Monday:

• The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of William Cooper to be General Counsel of the Department of Energy at 5:30 pm.

Tuesday:

• The Senate will vote to confirm William Cooper, and will then vote to invoke cloture on (and ultimately confirm) the nomination of R. Clarke Cooper to be an Assistant Secretary of State. Next, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on and then confirm the nomination of Gordon Hartogensis to head the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation for a five-year term.

Wednesday:

• The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on and then confirm the nomination of Deputy Solicitor General of Texas, J. Campbell Barker, to be a district judge for the Eastern District of Texas's Tyler Division. After disposing of the Barker nomination, the Senate will vote on cloture and then confirming Alabama Solicitor General Andrew Brasher to fill a vacancy in the Middle District of Alabama. Judging by their committee votes, votes on these two nominations will likely be on close to party lines. The Senate might also vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Florida state court Judge Rudy Ruiz to fill a Southern District vacancy. Ruiz's nomination is less controversial than those of Barker and Brasher, having received a voice vote in committee back in February.

Thursday:

• If the Senate did not vote to invoke cloture on the Ruiz nomination on Wednesday, it will today, and then will vote on confirmation. The Senate will wrap up the week by voting on cloture and then to confirm McConnell Valdés partner Raúl Arias-Marxuach to be a judge of the District of Puerto Rico (which, despite Puerto Rico being a territory, is an Article III court) and Dilworth Paxson partner Joshua Wolson to be a judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The former nominee will likely receive bipartisan support, while Wolson will be confirmed with a narrower margin.

At some point during the week, the Senate will also vote on overriding the President's veto of S.J. Res. 7, the joint resolution relating to removing American forces from the conflict in Yemen.

On Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee will hold a nominations hearing for the following nominees:

District Court:

1. Ada E. Brown, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas
2. Steven D. Grimberg, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia
3. David John Novak, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia

Court of Federal Claims:

1. Matthew H. Solomson, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims

On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee will hold an executive session to vote on and/or hold over the following nominations (the number in the parentheses appearing after the nominee's name signifies whether this is the first or second time appearing on the agenda; first-time appearances are typically held over and nominees appearing for the second time usually receive votes):

Department of Justice:

1. Jeffrey A. Rosen, to be United States Deputy Attorney General (1)

District Court:

1. Jeffrey Vincent Brown, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas (1)
2. Robert J. Colville, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania (1)
3. Stephanie L. Haines, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania (1)
4. Brantley Starr, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas (1)

Update # 1 (5/5/2019): Added nominees present at Tuesday's hearing.