More fear and financial blackmail going on right now on the floor of the senate. Earlier today, the senate voted to end debate and move for a final vote happening now. I will update as soon as the vote is final. To watch the final vote streaming live, go here.
Senate Votes in Favor of Bernanke
The Senate voted to end debate on the nomination of Ben Bernanke for a second four-year term as chairman of the Federal Reserve, clearing the way for a final vote later today in which Mr. Bernanke is expected to prevail.
During more than two hours of debate on the Senate floor, Bernanke backers warned that voting him down risked sparking turmoil in U.S. and foreign markets and thwarting a budding economic recovery. They said the Fed chairman deserved an opportunity to finish what he started.
“To vote against confirmation could unnerve investors and exacerbate economic uncertainty in the marketplace, which is exactly what we do not need at this time,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey. “We need the wisdom of patience,” he said. “Let us not judge the man or the work prematurely.”
UPDATE:
The Senate has voted to confirm Bernanke for a second term as the Chairman of The Federal Reserve; 70-30. I will post the voting record for your information and ammunition as it becomes available. (Searching….searching…searching…)
(4:36pm est. Waiting for vote to be posted on Senate webpage. Expect 20 minute wait.)
Senate voting page for Bernanke’s Confirmation – here.
U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress – 2nd Session
as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate
Vote Summary
| Question: On the Nomination (Confirmation Ben S. Bernanke To Be Chairman Of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ) | |||
| Vote Number: | 16 | Vote Date: | January 28, 2010, 03:45 PM |
| Required For Majority: | 1/2 | Vote Result: | Nomination Confirmed |
| Nomination Number: | PN959 | ||
| Nomination Description: | Ben S. Bernanke, of New Jersey, to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of four years | ||
| Vote Counts: | YEAs | 70 |
| NAYs | 30 |
| Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
| Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Yea Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Begich (D-AK), Nay Bennet (D-CO), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), Yea Boxer (D-CA), Nay Brown (D-OH), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Nay Bunning (R-KY), Nay Burr (R-NC), Yea Burris (D-IL), Yea Byrd (D-WV), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Cardin (D-MD), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Casey (D-PA), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Coburn (R-OK), Yea Cochran (R-MS), Yea Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Yea Corker (R-TN), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Nay DeMint (R-SC), Nay Dodd (D-CT), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Yea Ensign (R-NV), Nay | Enzi (R-WY), Yea Feingold (D-WI), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Franken (D-MN), Nay Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Nay Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagan (D-NC), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea Johanns (R-NE), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Yea Kaufman (D-DE), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kirk (D-MA), Yea Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Yea Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea LeMieux (R-FL), Nay Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Nay McCaskill (D-MO), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Yea | Menendez (D-NJ), Yea Merkley (D-OR), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Risch (R-ID), Nay Roberts (R-KS), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shaheen (D-NH), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Nay Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (D-PA), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Yea Tester (D-MT), Yea Thune (R-SD), Nay Udall (D-CO), Yea Udall (D-NM), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Nay Voinovich (R-OH), Yea Warner (D-VA), Yea Webb (D-VA), Yea Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay Wicker (R-MS), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Yea |
| Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
| YEAs —70 | ||
| Akaka (D-HI) Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Bennet (D-CO) Bennett (R-UT) Bingaman (D-NM) Bond (R-MO) Brown (D-OH) Burr (R-NC) Burris (D-IL) Byrd (D-WV) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Corker (R-TN) Dodd (D-CT) Durbin (D-IL) | Enzi (R-WY) Feinstein (D-CA) Gillibrand (D-NY) Graham (R-SC) Gregg (R-NH) Hagan (D-NC) Hatch (R-UT) Inouye (D-HI) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Johnson (D-SD) Kerry (D-MA) Kirk (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Kyl (R-AZ) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lugar (R-IN) McCaskill (D-MO) | McConnell (R-KY) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Schumer (D-NY) Shaheen (D-NH) Snowe (R-ME) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-CO) Udall (D-NM) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (D-VA) Webb (D-VA) Wyden (D-OR) |
| NAYs —30 | ||
| Begich (D-AK) Boxer (D-CA) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Cantwell (D-WA) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Dorgan (D-ND) Ensign (R-NV) | Feingold (D-WI) Franken (D-MN) Grassley (R-IA) Harkin (D-IA) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Kaufman (D-DE) LeMieux (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) Merkley (D-OR) | Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sanders (I-VT) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Specter (D-PA) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wicker (R-MS) |
| Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
22 of 40 Republicans voted to confirm !!!
Was the alternative going to be that bad ???
No party unity here!! Somebody please explain …
Ken – I read on twitter today (and am looking for print confirmation) that Bob Bennett voted for Bernanke because he didn’t want to open the door to another liberal Obama pick. Yes, it would have been worse – can you say Larry Summers?
Here is your jumping off point – this guy is really bad:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Summers
Well well….my….oops, California’s rep Babs Boxer voted nay…Could it be that she REALLY is worried about her upcoming re-election? Well Babs…no need to worry you’ll get your unemployment check next November. And to ALL those gutless Repubs that vote yes…Well STAND BY YOU IDIOTS! YOUR unemployment checks are waiting for you too!