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 Republicans can slow down but not stop the confirmations because
of a Democratic rule change that ended their ability to block
nominees with procedural hurdles known as filibusters.
On votes of 79-6 and 74-17, respectively, the Senate confirmed on
Friday Deborah Lee James as secretary of the U.S. Air Force and
Heather Anne Higginbottom as deputy secretary of state for
management and resources.
The two raised to nine the number of Obama's nominees, most of them
relatively low-level, confirmed since the Senate kicked off its
non-stop effort at about midday on Wednesday.
On Monday the Senate is expected to confirm Anne Patterson as an
assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs and Jeh
Johnson as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Later next week, the Senate is expected to confirm Janet Yellen as
head of the Federal Reserve and Roberts Wilkins as a member of the
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Republicans have prolonged the Senate debate by rejecting requests
to yield back allotted time. But they have used most of their time
not to discuss the merits of Obama's nominees, but to rail against
the rule change.
Republicans accuse Democrats of an unwarranted "power grab."
Democrats say they took the action to combat "Republican
obstructionism."
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At this point, Democrats want to get as many nominees confirmed as
they can before Congress ends its work for the year and heads home
for the holidays, likely at the end of next week.
About 70 nominees are still pending.
Like past years, many of those left unconfirmed may have to begin
the process all over again, beginning with the president
re-nominating them.
(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro; editing by Kenneth Barry)
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