This Week in the Senate: 6/17/2019

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This week, the Senate is holding votes on at least five nominations and will consider the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, and the Judiciary Committee will convene an executive business meeting.

Floor Action:
Monday:
  • No votes are scheduled.
Tuesday:
  • The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on and then confirm the nomination of Sean Cairncross to CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Then, there will be four cloture votes on district court nominees: First Liberty Institute Deputy General Counsel Matthew Kacsmaryk (Northern District of Texas); Judge Allen Winsor of the First District Court of Appeal (Northern District of Florida); Loftin, Cain & LeBlanc partner James Cain (Western District of Louisiana); and Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Greg Guidry (Eastern District of Louisiana). Kacsmaryk has been criticized by Senate Democrats over his remarks on LGBTQ people and Winsor is opposed by many activist groups due to his work as Florida's Solicitor General under Attorney General Pam Bondi. Cain is less controversial, but still received some "no" votes from Judiciary Committee Democrats, and Guidry's comments on abortion issues, among other topics, also have earned him substantial opposition from the minority.
Wednesday:
  • The Senate will vote to confirm the four district court nominees from Tuesday and then will vote to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2020.
Thursday:
  • The Senate will continue to consider the NDAA.
At some point during the week, the Senate might vote on the nomination of Rita Baranwal to be the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy.

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):

Court of Appeals:
  1. Daniel Aaron Bress, to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit (2)
  2. Peter Joseph Phipps, to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit (1)
      District Court / Court of Federal Claims:
      1. Gary Richard Brown, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York (2)
      2. Stephanie Dawkins Davis, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan (2)
      3. Stephanie A. Gallagher, to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland (2)
      4. Diane Gujarati, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York (2)
      5. Eric Ross Komitee, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York (2)
      6. Rachel P. Kovner, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York (2)
      7. Lewis J. Liman, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York (2)
      8. Mary S. McElroy, to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Rhode Island (2)
      9. Martha Maria Pacold, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois (2)
      10. Jason K. Pulliam, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas (2)
      11. Mary M. Rowland, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois (2)
      12. Steven C. Seeger, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois (2)
      13. John L. Sinatra, Jr., to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of New York (2)
      14. Frank William Volk, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia (2)
      15. Mary Kay Vyskocil, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York (2)
      16. David Austin Tapp, to be a Judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (2)
      17. Charles R. Eskridge III, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas (1)
      18. William Shaw Stickman IV, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania (1)
      19. Jennifer Philpott Wilson, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (1)

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