Today on the Hill: Senate to Focus on Judicial Nominations

The Senate will reconvene today to continue work on presidential nominations as negotiators deliberate next steps in the Congressional appropriations process. While Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) work to clinch a spending agreement that would avert a funding lapse, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) indicated yesterday that confirming nominees will be the focus of the upper chamber’s work so long as appropriations talks are deadlocked. On the floor for today, the upper chamber will vote on the nomination of Danielle Hunsaker to be a Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. A full list of nominations filed for this week can be found here.

Meanwhile, House lawmakers have left Washington for their Veterans Day district work period. The lower chamber will resume legislative business on Tuesday, Nov. 12.