This Week in the Senate: 12/14/2020

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This week, the Senate is holding votes on two nominations to the judiciary and two bills, and the Judiciary Committee will convene a nominations hearing.

Floor Action:¹
Monday:
  • The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana Thomas Kirsch to serve as a Judge of the Seventh Circuit. Democrats oppose Kirsch and all of the other judicial nominees likely to be considered this week due to them being brought up for floor votes during the lame duck period of the Trump administration. If confirmed, he would fill the seat Justice Amy Coney Barrett vacated in October 2020.
Tuesday:
  • The Senate will vote to confirm Kirsch, and will then vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of Department of Justice Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy Katherine A. Crytzer to be a Judge of the Eastern District of Tennessee, in Knoxville. In addition to the timing of her nomination, Democrats oppose Crytzer for her work in the administration. If confirmed, she would fill a judicial emergency from September 2020.
Wednesday:
  • The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nominations of Charleston County Attorney Joseph Dawson to be a Judge of the District of South Carolina, in Greenville; First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee Charles Atchley to be a Judge of the Eastern District of Tennessee, in Chattanooga; and, Senate Judiciary Committee Chief Investigative Counsel Zachary Somers to be a Judge of the Court of Federal Claims. If confirmed, they would fill a vacancy from 2019, a judicial emergency from March 2020, and a vacancy from October 2020, respectively.
Thursday:
  • The Senate will vote to pass an omnibus appropriations bill and to override President Trump's likely veto of H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee will hold a nominations hearing for the following nominee:
    Court of Appeals:
    1. Raúl Arias-Marxuach, to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the First Circuit
      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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