This Week in the Senate: 6/1/2020

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This week, the Senate is holding votes on five nominations, including two to the judiciary, and the Judiciary Committee will convene an executive business meeting.

Floor Action:¹
Monday:
  • The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to confirm Florida Second District Court of Appeal Judge John L. Badalamenti to be a Judge of the Middle District of Florida. Badalamenti is one of the few former public defenders Trump has nominated to the bench, and he might be best-known for arguing Yates v. United States (2015). Badalamenti's nomination is relatively noncontroversial, and if confirmed, he would fill a judicial emergency from 2018. Then, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Victor Mercado to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.
Tuesday:
  • The Senate will vote to confirm Mercado, and then will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Senior Associate White House Counsel Brian D. Miller to be Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. In the afternoon, the Senate will vote to confirm Miller and to invoke cloture on the nomination of James H. Anderson to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.
Wednesday:
  • The Senate will vote to confirm Anderson, and then will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of BakerHostetler shareholder Drew B. Tipton to be a Judge of the Southern District of Texas, in Corpus Christi. Tipton is opposed by Democrats for his representations of employers in employment discrimination and hostile work environment litigation, and if confirmed, he would fill a judicial emergency from 2019.
Thursday:
  • The Senate will vote to confirm Tipton.
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. Justin R. Walker, to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit (2)
    2. Cory T. Wilson, to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit (1)
          Notes:

          ¹The floor schedule is an approximate guide to when votes may occur. It may not necessarily be completely accurate due to things changing in the Senate during the week.

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