Baghdad Won't See Chris Hill Until After 4/20 ...

Senate’s Executive Calendar now includes a Unanimous Consent Agreement tabled for Monday, April 20, 2009:

UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT

Tony West (Cal. No. 34)

Lanny A. Breuer (Cal. No. 35)

Christine Anne Varney (Cal. No. 36)

Christopher R. Hill (Cal. No. 43)

Ordered, That, at 5:30 p.m., on Monday, April 20, 2009, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations; and that the Senate vote on confirmation of the nominations in the following order:

Tony West, of California, to be an Assistant Attorney General;

Lanny A. Breuer, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Attorney General; and

Christine Anne Varney, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Attorney General.

Ordered further, That there be 2 minutes, equally divided and controlled, for debate prior to each vote; that each vote following the first be 10 minutes in duration; that motions to reconsider be made and laid on the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate then resume its legislative session.

Ordered, That on Monday, April 20, 2009, following disposition of the nominations specified in the previous order, the Senate proceed to consideration of the nomination of Christopher R. Hill, of Rhode Island, to be Ambassador to Iraq; that there be 20 minutes of debate, equally divided and controlled between the Leaders or their designees, prior to the cloture on the nomination, and that the mandatory quorum be waived.

(April 2, 2009)

Congress will be on Spring Break from April 6-19. The Senate is expected to return for business on April 20 where at 2:00 pm there will be 20 minutes of debate on the nomination of Ambassador Hill then a cloture vote on his nomination. He is reportedly expected to get confirmed despite this rigodon.


Ambassador Hill said during his nomination that he would like to get to Baghdad, the day after his confirmation. He could have been in Baghdad this weekend -- but you know, some senator wanted him to spend Spring break in town -- beats me why.


Anyway -- I expect he will be confirmed on April 20 (or soon after that). He will have two weeks to pack and if he has arranged with his new friends a miljet non-stop flight (I understand that's 9 hours 14 minutes and 55 seconds from here to there), he could be in Baghdad on April 21 by dinner time? -- let's give the guy a break, maybe we should make that before midnight.

Related Items:

Hill Cloture Motion

Senate Calendar – April 2009