This Week in the Senate: 11/30/2020

This week, the Senate is holding votes on six nominations, including four 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 invoke cloture on the nomination of Brunini Law Firm member Taylor B. McNeel to be a Judge of the Southern District of Mississippi, in Gulfport. Democrats oppose McNeel for, among other reasons, his vote as a local school board member to reopen schools for in-person learning. If confirmed, he would fill a judicial emergency from 2018.

Tuesday:

• The Senate will vote to confirm McNeel, and will then vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge J. Philip Calabrese to be a Judge of the Northern District of Ohio, in Cleveland. Democrats oppose Calabrese for his representation of former Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray in a defamation lawsuit, among other things, and if confirmed, he would fill a vacancy from January 2020. In the afternoon, the Senate will vote to confirm Calabrese and will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Kyle Hauptman to be a Member of the National Credit Union Administration Board.

Wednesday:

• The Senate will vote to confirm Hauptman, and will then vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of Department of Justice Senior Counsel Kathryn C. Davis to be a Judge of the Court of Federal Claims. Democrats oppose Davis for her work on the DACA rescission litigation, among other things, and if confirmed, she would fill a vacancy from 2018. In the afternoon, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Christopher Waller to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Thursday:

• The Senate will vote to confirm Waller, and will then vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel Liam P. Hardy to the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. If confirmed, he would fill a vacancy from July 2020.

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. Thomas L. Kirsch II, to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit (1)

District Court / Court of Federal Claims:

1. Charles Edward Atchley, Jr., to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee (1)
2. Katherine A. Crytzer, to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee (1)
3. Joseph Dawson III, to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina (1)
4. Zachary N. Somers, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims (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.