[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 141 (Tuesday, November 18, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6074-S6075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXECUTIVE SESSION
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NOMINATION OF LESLIE JOYCE ABRAMS TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
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NOMINATION OF MARK HOWARD COHEN TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE FOR
THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
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NOMINATION OF ELEANOR LOUISE ROSS TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will
proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations,
which the clerk will report.
(Disturbance in the Visitors' Galleries)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sergeant at Arms will restore order in the
gallery.
The bill clerk read the nominations of Leslie Joyce Abrams, of
Georgia, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of
Georgia; Mark Howard Cohen, of Georgia, to be United States District
Judge for the Northern District of Georgia; and Eleanor Louise Ross, of
Georgia, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District
of Georgia.
Abrams Nomination
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 2
minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the Abrams
confirmation.
The Senator from Vermont.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I yield my time to the two Senators from
Georgia.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. ISAKSON. On behalf of the people of Georgia, the next three votes
will be three judges for the State of Georgia.
Senator Chambliss, the senior Senator from Georgia, has done an
outstanding job of leading our Judiciary Committee to negotiate with
the President and White House on six nominations, three of which we
have approved and the final three are tonight.
I heartily recommend to each Member of the Chamber a vote for Leslie
Abrams for the Middle District of Georgia, Eleanor Ross for the
Northern District of Georgia, and Mark Cohen for the Northern District
of Georgia. All are extremely competent, talented individuals.
I thank the Obama administration and all those who worked with us to
come up with a package of judges to fill the vacancies in the State of
Georgia.
I yield to Senator Chambliss.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. CHAMBLISS. I join with my colleague Senator Isakson in
recommending that all of our colleagues vote for all three of these
judges: Judge Eleanor Ross, Judge Mark Cohen, and Judge Leslie Abrams--
or future judges in all three cases. They are excellent candidates.
I particularly wish to commend Senator Leahy for working closely with
us, the President for being willing to sit down and discuss our
judicial nominations, and particularly former White House Counsel Kathy
Ruemmler. We would not be here today if Kathy had not demonstrated
great legal skills in working this package and putting this package
together.
I encourage all my colleagues to vote in favor of all three of these
judges.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The minority leader.
Keystone Pipeline
Mr. McCONNELL. I would point out to my colleagues in the Senate that
consideration of the Keystone Pipeline will be very early in the next
session of the Senate, of the Congress, and I congratulate Senator
Hoeven for his good work on this issue.
Vote on Abrams Nomination
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order the question is, Will
the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Leslie Joyce Abrams,
of Georgia, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District
of Georgia?
Mr. CORNYN. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk called the roll.
The result was announced--yeas 100, nays 0, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 281 Ex.]
YEAS--100
Alexander
Ayotte
Baldwin
Barrasso
Begich
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt
Booker
Boozman
Boxer
Brown
Burr
Cantwell
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Chambliss
Coats
Coburn
Cochran
Collins
Coons
Corker
Cornyn
Crapo
Cruz
Donnelly
Durbin
Enzi
Feinstein
Fischer
Flake
Franken
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagan
Harkin
Hatch
Heinrich
Heitkamp
Heller
Hirono
Hoeven
Inhofe
Isakson
Johanns
Johnson (SD)
Johnson (WI)
Kaine
King
Kirk
Klobuchar
Landrieu
Leahy
Lee
Levin
Manchin
Markey
McCain
McCaskill
McConnell
Menendez
Merkley
Mikulski
Moran
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Nelson
Paul
Portman
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Risch
Roberts
Rockefeller
Rubio
Sanders
Schatz
Schumer
Scott
Sessions
Shaheen
Shelby
Stabenow
Tester
Thune
Toomey
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Vitter
Walsh
Warner
Warren
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
The nomination was confirmed.
Vote on Cohen Nomination
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 2
minutes of debate equally divided prior to the vote on the Cohen
nomination.
Mr. REID. I yield back all time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, all time is yielded back.
The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination
of Mark Howard Cohen, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge
for the Northern District of Georgia?
The nomination was confirmed.
Vote on Ross Nomination
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 2
minutes of debate equally divided on the Ross nomination.
Who yields time?
Mr. REID. I yield back all time.
Mr. McCONNELL. I yield back all time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, all time is yielded back.
The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination
of Eleanor Louise Ross, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge
for the Northern District of Georgia?
The nomination was confirmed.
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