The Republican filibuster hissy fit continued in the Senate all through Thursday and overnight, again, into Friday. But while Republicans demanded the Senate stay up all night so that they could fully voice their dismay over Obamacare (as usual) and the nuclear option,
they didn't show up for it.
Senate Republicans have refused to yield back any debate time on nomination votes out of frustration that Democrats unilaterally changed the Senate filibuster rules last month. [...]
Republicans have used the time to criticize the rule change and ObamaCare. But early Friday morning, no one was on the floor despite the GOP’s insistence on using all the debate time.
What a surprise. Republicans don't have any objections to any of the nominees and they don't want to talk about those nominees. They just want to obstruct, and they want to punish Democrats for ending their ability to totally block nominees. This is all about retaliation, about using every procedural tool they have at hand to make the process painful.
Votes are, however, proceeding. They've confirmed eight nominees so far in this continuous session beginning Wednesday: Cornelia T.L. Pillard, of the District of Columbia, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; Chai Rachel Feldblum to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Elizabeth A. Wolford, of New York, to be U.S. District Judge; Landya B. McCafferty, of New Hampshire, to be U.S. District Judge; Patricia M. Wald, to be a member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board; Brian Morris, of Montana, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Montana; Susan P. Watters, of Montana, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Montana; Deborah Lee James, of Virginia, to be Secretary of the Air Force; and Heather Higginbottom to be Deputy Secretary of State.
They will have two more votes this afternoon, then come back for more next week including the key nomination of Janet Yellen as chair of the Federal Reserve. Had Republicans been willing to dispense with the theatrics, the Senate could be done with all these nominations and be working on the defense authorization bill, for example. That bill would have been done before Thanksgiving, had Republicans not blocked it from moving forward. But that would suggest that Republicans wanted something to be done, wanted the Senate to actually do work. They don't.
9:14 AM PT: Correction: The Higginbottom vote above was on cloture. The final vote is occurring now.