[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 28, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 583--AMENDING THE STANDING RULES OF THE SENATE TO 
  ENSURE THAT THE SENATE VOTES ON WHETHER TO CONFIRM JUDICIAL NOMINEES

  Mr. UDALL submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Rules and Administration:

                              S. Res. 583

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. VOTES ON JUDICIAL NOMINEES.

       Rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``8. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date on which a 
     judicial nomination made by the President is received, the 
     Senate shall vote on--
       ``(1) whether the Senate will advise and consent to the 
     judicial nomination; or
       ``(2) a motion to invoke cloture on the judicial 
     nomination.
       ``(b) Except as provided in subparagraph (c), if the Senate 
     does not vote on whether the Senate will advise and consent 
     to a judicial nomination or a motion to invoke cloture on the 
     judicial nomination during the period described in 
     subparagraph (a), on the first day on which the Senate is in 
     session after the end of the period described in subparagraph 
     (a)--
       ``(1) if the judicial nomination was referred to a 
     committee and has not been reported, the committee shall be 
     discharged from further consideration of the judicial 
     nomination and the judicial nomination shall be placed on the 
     calendar without any intervening action or debate;
       ``(2) the Senate shall proceed to the judicial nomination 
     without any intervening action or debate;
       ``(3) the Senate shall proceed to the question `Is it the 
     sense of the Senate that the debate shall be brought to a 
     close?' with respect to the judicial nomination, in the same 
     manner as if a motion to invoke cloture had been made under 
     rule XXII, except that there shall be not more than 4 hours 
     of debate on such question; and
       ``(4) it shall not be in order to move to proceed to the 
     consideration of any other matter until such question is 
     disposed of.
       ``(c) Subparagraph (b) shall not apply to a judicial 
     nomination if, before the end of the period described in 
     subparagraph (a), the committee to which the judicial 
     nomination has been referred votes to report the judicial 
     nomination unfavorably.
       ``(d) In this paragraph, the term `judicial nomination' 
     means the nomination of an individual to serve as a judge or 
     justice appointed to hold office during good behavior.''.

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