Friday, April 07, 2006

2:30 Senate Adjourns The Senate has adjourned for a two-week recess. The body will reconvene at 2:00 on April 24th. 2:35:50 PM

12:35 Cloture Vote Fails By a vote of 52-41 cloture was not invoked on the nomination of Peter Cyril Wyche Flory to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.   12:41:36 PM

12:12 Smith Confirmed, Second Roll Call Vote Begins By a vote of 59-34, the Senate just confirmed the nomination of Dorrance Smith to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense. The Senate moved immediately to the next coll vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Peter Cyril Wyche Flory, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense. 12:13:51 PM

11:48 Senate Now Voting on Assistant Secretary of Defense Nomination The Senate is now voting on the nomination of Dorrance Smith to be the Assistant Secretary of Defense. 11:49:01 AM

11:40 Assistant Secretary of Defense Nominee Debated The Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senators Warner and Levin, respectively, have been debating the nomination of Dorrance Smith, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.  A cloture vote on the nomination is expected at 11:45 this morning. 11:41:09 AM

10:47 Cloture Motion Fails The motion to invoke cloture on the Border Security bill failed by a vote of 36-62. 10:48:14 AM

10:20 Second Role Call Vote Commences The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on S.2454, the Border Security bill. 10:21:29 AM

10:15 Cloture Motion Fails The vote on the cloture motion to recommit the Border Security bill to the Judiciary Committee failed 38-60.  10:17:55 AM

9:55 First Roll Call Vote of the Day Begins The Senate is now voting on a motion to send the Border Security bill back to the Judiciary Committee with instructions that the revised bill include compromise language proposed by Senators Mel Martinez and Chuck Hagel.   9:57:41 AM

Earlier Remarks of Senator Leahy on Immigration Reform Earlier this morning, Senator Leahy delivered a speech on comprehensive immigration reform. His full remarks can be read at: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200604/040706.html. 9:49:04 AM

9:35 Remarks of Senator Feinstein Senator Dianne Feinstein of California has come to the Floor to weigh in to the immigration debate. Senator Feinstein said that because of the huge number of illegal immigrants in her home state of California, what the Senate does with this issue is of serious consequence for the people of California. She urged members to come together as one body, and reminded her fellow Senators that millions of lives will be affected by what the Senate does.   9:37:27 AM

9:10 Debate on Immigration Continues The Senate convened at 8:30 this morning to resume debate on immigration reform. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois is claiming that it is time for our nation to enact comprehensive immigration reform. He denounced the House passed bill as a punitive, mean-spirited measure. Senator Durbin said it is impossible to define what the Senate Republican's position on immigration reform is. Four roll call votes have been scheduled for this morning. The first two votes will be on cloture motions relating to the Border Control bill. The second two votes will be on nominations. These votes are expected to being around 9:45.     9:14:43 AM