Senate set for rare all-night session ahead of Kavanaugh vote

[PoliticAverse]

Source: The Hill

The Senate is expected to stay in session all night Friday as senators brace for a final vote Saturday afternoon on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.

The Senate voted 51-49 earlier Friday to advance Kavanaugh's nomination. Under the chamber's rules, senators have an additional 30 hours to debate his nomination before a final vote takes place.

Senators are expected to burn up the 30 hours of debate by staying up all night to give speeches on Kavanaugh's nomination from the Senate floor.

A spokesman for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said they believed Democrats wanted to speak from the Senate floor throughout Friday night and into Saturday. A Senate Democratic aide confirmed the Senate would be in session all night.


Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/410175-senate-heads-for-all-night-session-ahead-of-kavanaugh-vote

[rzemanfl]

1. Is there a way to send beer? n/t

[OhNo-Really]

21. Where on line can we watch the all night speeches? Scoured the internet 😥 Nothing found

[Honeycombe8]

2. Why would they debate? They're all on board. Talk about a waste of time. nt

[guillaumeb]

4. Possible campaign ads? eom

[Honeycombe8]

5. Has to be. And get their faces on the news. Get the base revved up. Taxpayer dollars at work.nt

[PoliticAverse]

8. You don't want Democrats to "get the base revved up"? It's Democrats...

that are using up the 30 hours tonight.

A spokesman for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said they believed Democrats wanted to speak from the Senate floor throughout Friday night and into Saturday. A Senate Democratic aide confirmed the Senate would be in session all night.

[Honeycombe8]

9. Oh, I figured it would be the Repubs. Of course I want Dems on the news. No one's going to watch...

No one's going to watch tonight, though.

I suppose I don't care much about speeches. I care about the votes.

[ZZenith]

14. Aren't you just a ray of sunshine?

[BumRushDaShow]

18. The "debate" portion is part of long-standing Senate rules

Before a final vote on legislation (or nominations, as in this case), there is a 30-hour period of "debate" (statements), where they usually rotate from party to party, with Senators given the opportunity for up to 1 hour's time to make their statement. Since there are 100 Senators but only 30 hours of time available, the leadership usually negotiates with their own party's Senators, how to schedule the time.

E.g., there are cases where they will split their time so you may have say 4 Senators use up 1 hour total of time (each) to "read their statements into the record" on the floor (which is what they consider "debate" ). In certain unique cases, you may have 2 Senators engage in a "colloquy" on the floor as part of sharing an hour of "debate", where they will address each other (and the President Pro-tem of the Senate) in a formalized discussion of the matter at hand. In general, 1 hour is usually reserved for the leaders to totally "consume" for their official statement (and/or they will say "for whatever time they consume" and will "yield back the remainder of their time" if anyone else is left to speak, although they are usually the final ones on the list before closing out the debate session).

They all will file a motion to "revise and extend their remarks" (meaning that they will be able to submit the written portion of their statement, with any edits and/or revisions to their verbal one, to the record after they are done.

Table 1. Maximum Number of Hours of Post-Cloture Consideration of Nominations
113th Congress, pursuant to S.Res. 15 and Senate Rule XXII

Nomination_____________________________________________ Maximum Consideration

<...>

21 high-level executive branch positions, including the head of each______30 hours
executive department.


The Supreme Court, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S._______30 hours
Court of International Trade

(PDF file, from pg. 20)

More: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42996.pdf

IIRC, the last modification to the above-posted rule was to change the threshold for SCOTUS from 3/5 to simple majority.

In many cases, with non-controversial legislation and/or nominees, the Senate leadership from both parties COULD agree to shorten the debate period (if not already designated for less than 30 hours) so they can move on to final vote and other legislative business. Obviously in this case, it is guaranteed that all 30 hours will be used.

[lancelyons]

3. We have been coming with beer for the last 30 years. Time to start playing serious.

Take the high road and you get burned and beat.

Need to start bringing guns to a gun fight. Stop expecting others to be gentile and decent. Kick their AZZ and then make them be nice.

[Honeycombe8]

6. Agreed. The Dem. Senators did a GREAT job in fighting this.

So unlike the respectful, demure Democratic Senators of yore. We saw some fighters this time. I'm so proud of them! They did a lot with the little power they (we) had in the process.

Yes...I don't think we should keep the "we go high" model, any more. We have to fight fire with fire.

(You are referencing guns figuratively speaking, I gather. The old saying "you don't bring a knife to a gun fight.&quot

[47of74]

15. The Democrats should bring a few dozen Death Stars to the fight.

[hatrack]

7. What the fuck FOR?!?!

Oh, that's right, so that Ben "Moistly Empathetic" Sasse and Jeff "Gosh, I Really, Really Care About Women" Flake can get their lying fucking faces on the tee-vee and make soothing, mooing noises.

[Fred Sanders]

11. If they sleep then they get to say nothing as the clock ticks...if Democratic Senators did that....

We can play the tape tomorrow...looking forward to it!

[bluestarone]

10. Hope they continue to Quorum call!!!!

Keep them repugs awake

[ProudLib72]

12. But Collins turns into a pumpkin at midnight

Does that mean her vote won't count?

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

13. Can they have read into the record all the funny money Kavanaugh has come across...

... the past few years or months?

[orleans]

16. omg--mcconnell is SUCH a FUCK!

i just turned on cspan and there it is
dem brian schatz is talking now (2:51am e.t.) about how kavanaugh wrote a sitting president shouldn't be indited for breaking a law

[riversedge]

20. sad, but many Republicans believe that a sitting President can not be indicted either.

[duforsure]

17. Its disturbing how easily Republican Senators

Without being found guilty found that Senator Franklin needed to go without it, yet claim here with a rigged investigation covering up all things exposing kavanaugh was kept hidden or obstructed from doing, that nothing was found is self serving and corrupt, but they now are saying it for voting for this criminal they want for self protections for trump , putin, and themselves. The most corrupt Senate ever in our history , and the most corrupt president too. They've voting to put themselves above the rule of law. Corruption running wild .

[riversedge]

19. I am glad our Dem Senators have the spirit to speak up. Always we must #RESIST

[Maxheader]

22. These should be the items they discuss..

-We're placing a woman abuser on the court..
-We probably won't be re-elected..
-Down the road if brett fucks up and starts
telling our secrets...
-More assault allegations while on the court..
-Starts mouthing off about abortion and family planning..

Feel free to add...