Judy Shelton, Trump Fed Nominee, Fails to Advance to Final Vote

On Tuesday morning, Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, announced that he had been exposed to the coronavirus and by late afternoon he disclosed that he had tested positive. With Senator Rick Scott, Republican of Florida, also in quarantine, Democrats who opposed her nomination had a chance to hold back confirmation with some Republican support.

Senators Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, both Republicans, voted against advancing her nomination, and a third Republican, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, also opposed Ms. Shelton but was not present for the vote because of what a spokesman said were family matters.

In a sign of how narrow the margin was, Senator Kamala Harris of California, the vice president-elect, returned to Capitol Hill for the first time since the presidential election in part to vote against Ms. Shelton’s advancement.

“Senator Harris knows this is an important vote, and she’s here for it,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, said at his weekly news conference. “She didn’t need contacting.”

The procedural vote ultimately failed 47 to 50, with Mr. McConnell changing his vote from agreeing to advance the nomination to opposing it so he could revive it before the end of the lame-duck session.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/business/economy/judy-shelton-fed-vote.html