Good Friday evening. In this edition: Senators approve Russia sanctions bill as they move through stacked agenda ahead of recess.
Plus, jobs report, ballroom and Tennessee primaries.
Senate Crunch
Senators are racing to the finish line as they look to leave town for their summer recess, moving through a huge agenda of items that could keep them in session late into the night.
Unanimous consent agreements will dictate how quickly they can move through the list and which items they cover before their five-week break.
Early this afternoon, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a sweeping Russia sanctions bill, passing the measure named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in an 86–11 vote.
Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joined nine Democrats in opposition, while three GOP senators missed the vote.
The legislation would impose new sanctions on Russia, renew sanctions on Iran, and give President Trump new authority to impose tariffs on major buyers of Russian energy products.
It would allow the Trump administration to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that are among the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.
The bill also targets Russia's so-called shadow fleet, its network of aging tankers used to evade Western sanctions while exporting Russian oil, and extends sanctions on Iran that are set to expire at the end of the year.
After months of delays, largely due to the White House's opposition to anything that could hinder its negotiations with Russia, the bill was fast-tracked following the unexpected death of Sen. Graham, the bill's original lead sponsor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally lobbied for the bill when he visited Washington for the late senator's funeral at the end of July.
The measure earned overwhelming bipartisan support despite concerns from Democrats and some Republicans over giving the president new tariff authority.
Before passage, senators defeated an amendment offered by Sen. Paul that would have stripped the tariff language from the bill, 32–64.
Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC), who replaced her brother in the upper chamber, presided over the vote.
"This legislation was deeply important to my brother, Lindsey, and I'm grateful that this bill has achieved such a wide coalition of support," she told reporters after the vote.
The bill now heads to the House, which is set to return at the end of the month.
The chamber also voted 51–47, along party lines, to approve 74 of President Trump's nominees, spanning the Defense, Energy and State departments and other agencies.
They include Cameron Hamilton for FEMA administrator, David Cummins to lead the TSA, Hal Duncan to be White House deputy budget director, Bradford Wilson as U.S. archivist, Don Berthiaume for Justice Department inspector general, and former Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA) as U.S. ambassador to Australia.
Senators also voted 91–6 to advance legislation to fund the federal government past the Sept. 30 deadline through Dec. 11.
The procedural vote indicated that there will be strong support for final passage when the chamber votes on the measure later in the evening.
The Senate is also expected to approve the nomination of Todd Blanche to be attorney general after Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) came out in support, providing the decisive 50th vote needed for confirmation.
"Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this. But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche," the outgoing senator said in a floor speech.
"This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is the decision regarding Mr. Blanche and very specific circumstances. All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in opposing Mr. Blanche's nomination earlier Friday, meaning he could not afford to lose any more Republican votes, given Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) extended absence while he recovers from a fall.
The Alaska Republican said she did not believe Mr. Blanche would be willing to stand up to President Trump and reverse the "politicization — even weaponization" of the Justice Department that has "accelerated" under his administration.
"The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration," Sen. Murkowski said in a statement. "I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is still looking for an agreement to hold votes on final passage of the stopgap funding bill, Mr. Blanche's nomination, a budget resolution to set up a third reconciliation bill, a voter ID bill sponsored by Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), and an amendment related to hemp from Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC).
The schedule remains highly fluid, and leaders in both parties are now indicating that they will likely have to punt a vote on a college sports bill related to name, image and likeness (NIL) rules and labor rights amid concerns from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
The CLARITY Act, a cryptocurrency market structure bill, is also being pushed to September.
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In other news…
The U.S. economy shed 23,000 jobs in July, far below expectations of about 83,000 job gains, while the unemployment rate edged lower to 4.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The labor force participation rate also fell to 61.4%, its lowest level in more than five years. The jobs numbers for May and June were also revised downward, bringing the 12-month average down to just 34,000. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett brushed aside the July labor report, describing the losses as an aberration in an otherwise "booming" economy. "The momentum in the economy continues to be strong," he told reporters, attributing the weak report to a decline in government employment and hospitality workers being laid off after the World Cup.
A federal appeals courtupheld a ruling blocking construction of President Trump's ballroom on the site of the demolished White House East Wing. The panel agreed with a lower court that the president had no authority to raze and replace sections of the White House without congressional approval. The ruling incensed President Trump, who said it "severely jeopardizes the lives and welfare" of White House employees. "The Military and Secret Service are viewing this horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling as a National Security threat to our Nation in that the entire Complex is being built for the protection of our Country and, additionally, all future Presidents," he said on social media. The appeals court stayed its ruling for 14 days to allow for an appeal, and President Trump has vowed to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) defeated Rep. John Rose (R-TN) in the Republican primary for Tennessee governor on Thursday, making her the favorite to win the seat in November and succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN). She will take on Democrat Jerri Green in a state where Democrats have not won a statewide race since 2006. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), the Trump-backed second-term congressman, lost his primary in an upset to Charlie Hatcher, a former state agriculture commissioner. The lawmaker, who had made headlines earlier this year for saying Muslims and gay people had no place in America, was vying for reelection in a redrawn district following a GOP-led gerrymandering push. Mr. Hatcher will face Democrat Chaz Molder in November.
For your radar…
The Senate is expected to continue its pre-recess work late into the evening. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN2.
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