The Senate will vote Tuesday to clear two of President Obama’s more controversial nominees, clearing a major hurdle to finishing the 113th Congress this week.
Senators will vote to end debate and confirm Sarah Saldaña, Obama’s nominee to head Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and Tony Blinken, the choice to serve as Deputy Secretary of State.
Once they are out of the way, Senate aides expect an agreement to confirm Obama’s other pending nominees by midweek.
That would speed up final votes on a package extending a variety of lapsed tax breaks and on the stalled Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.
A senior Democratic aide said the “optimistic realistic scenario” is for the Senate to adjourn after a late night of votes on Wednesday while the “pessimistic realistic scenario” calls for lawmakers to return Thursday to finish their work.
Senate aides say a one-year extension of expired tax breaks, including Section 179, will be one of the last items to move because it has strong support on both sides of the aisle and gives lawmakers incentive to stay in town to complete other work. They predict it will pass quickly once put on the schedule.
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Source: TheHill.com
Posted by Jami Howell