This Week in the Senate: 5/6/2019

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

Floor Action:
Monday:

• The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of U.S. District Judge Joseph Bianco (E.D.N.Y.) for the Second Circuit at 5:30 pm. Bianco's nomination is opposed by both of his home state senators, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and thus this vote is expected to be along party lines.

Tuesday:

• The Senate will vote to confirm the Bianco nomination, and will then vote to invoke cloture on (and ultimately confirm) three nominations to the Export-Import Bank's board of directors: Kimberly Reed (to be President; R); former Representative Spencer Bachus (R-AL); and Judith Pryor (D). The confirmation of these nominations will restore a quorum to the board after a long hiatus.

Wednesday:

• The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on (and then confirm) the nomination of Janet Dhillon (R) to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and to serve as its chairman. Her confirmation would restore a quorum to the body and install a Republican majority for the first time since the Bush administration. To wrap up the week, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Consovoy McCarthy Park partner Michael Park to fill another New York Second Circuit vacancy. Park also faces impassioned opposition from New York's senators, and his work on affirmative action lawsuits, among other controversial issues, means that this vote will be along party lines.

Thursday:

• The Senate will vote to confirm the Park nomination. If the two Second Circuit nominees are confirmed this week, the court will have a 7–6 D majority among its active judges, at least through the end of the month, when Judge Dennis Jacobs (a George H.W. Bush appointee) takes senior status.

On Thursday, the Finance Committee will convene a hearing to receive testimony from Tax Court nominee Emin Toro. 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 (2)

District Court:

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

Update # 1 (5/9/2019): Added Finance Committee nominations hearing.