Senate Clears Path for Treasury Nominee Brainard

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http://www.rollcall.com/news/45326-1.html


Senate Clears Path for Treasury Nominee Brainard
By Jessica Brady
Roll Call Staff
April 19, 2010, 7:30 p.m.


The Senate voted 84-10 to move forward on the long-delayed nomination of Lael Brainard to serve as undersecretary in the Treasury Department. A final vote on confirmation is expected Tuesday.

Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) also announced the chamber would vote Tuesday on the judicial nominations of Stuart Gordon Nash and Marisa Demeo. Both are tapped to serve on the District of Columbia Superior Court.

Brainard’s nomination has been pending on the Senate calendar since December. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) last week filed a cloture petition to consider her nomination as well as four other pending names. On Monday afternoon, several Democrats took to the floor to bemoan the slow pace of clearing President Barack Obama’s executive and judicial nominees.

“The path to her Senate confirmation has been neither short nor easy. But throughout this process, Dr. Brainard has demonstrated persistence and determination,” said Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), noting that Brainard was tapped in March of last year and sat for her confirmation hearing in November.

The Senate is considering the Treasury nominee the same week that Democrats are seeking to take up a sweeping financial regulatory reform bill. Reid blasted Republicans earlier Monday for slow-walking both Obama’s nominees and financial reform.