also procedural votes on several judicial nominations. another round of votes is expected at 5:30 eastern today, off the floor, senators continue working on a bill that would fund the federal government beyond next thursday. and now to live coverage of the u.s. senate here on c-span2.

the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. our gracious god and friend, great is your fanalfulness. guard our senators. as they wait expectantly for your salvation, may they never stumble in the darkness. lord, protect their minds with your instructions so that they will not deviate from the path o integrity. may they follow your directions and embrace your counsel so that

america can be like a shining city on a hill. give their petitions your personal attention so that no weapon formed against them will prosper. let praises cascade from their lips and your promises ring from their tongues, o god of our salvation. we pray in your merciful name. amen. the president pro tempore: pleae join me in reciting the pledge f allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

the majority leader. mr. reid: following my remarks and those of the republican leerksd the senate will proceed to executive session with the time until 10:00 a.m. equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees. at 10:00 a.m.a., th a.m.a., a.ml proceed to a series of votes. there will be a series of up to five roll call votes at 5:30 this afternoon. i'm told that s. 2907 is due for its second reading. the president pro tempore: the senator is correct. the clerk read the title. for a second time. the clerk: s. 2970, a bill to reform procedures for determinations to proceed to trial by court marshal for certain offenses under the uniform code of military justice

and for other purposes. mr. reid: i object to any further proceedings with respect -- the president pro tempore: objection is heard. the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. reid: would the chair announce the business of the date. the president pro tempore: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination: equal employment opportunity commission, charlotte a. burrows of the district of columbia to be a member. the president pro tempore: under the previous order, the time until 10:00 a.m. will be equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees. mr. reid: mr. president, i would note the absence of a quorum. the president pro tempore: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call: mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader -- the president pro tempore: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the president pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the republican leader is recognized. mr. mcconnell: this morning i rise to share with my colleagues the story of one brave marine from kentucky who lost his life while wearing our country's

uniform. corporal cheswick gilliam of may con, kentucky passed way of an parent cardiac arrest of camp blurang, kuwait. for his service in uniform lance corporal gilliam received many awards including the global war on terrorism service medal. chad's brother-in-law recalls how chad was happy to enlist. he said it was just something he wanted to do, chris says. all his life he wanted to be a marine e. before entering the u.s. marine corps, chad graduated from whitesburg high school in the mid-1990's. after earning his bachelors degree, he also graduated from lindsey wilson college with a

masters degree in counseling and human development. one of his former high school teachers said gilliam was an inspiration to other students. he remembers that chad had a wide array of interests from the football team to the spanish club. i have nothing but great, fond memories of him billiter says. he was a big part of who we were. as a marine chad continued to be a natural inspiration to others. all the marines seemed to really look up to chad says his brother-in-law. he was a leader in the marine corps. chad was assigned to the second battalion sixth marines, second marine division, second marine expeditionary force based out of camp lee june, north carolina. he was an infantry man and joined the unit in june of 2007. he was promoted to lance corporal in 2008 and deployed to

iraq in support of operation iraqi freedom. mr. president, we're thinking of chad's family today as i share his story with my u.s. senate colleagues, particularly his parents, paul gilliam and mary ellen cook gilliam; his wife corri ne, stuart gilliam, his sister paula, his brother michael, his brother-in-law chris along with many other beloved family members and friends. chad was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents willard and belvia and his maternal grandparents ar le y and he -- edna. i know my colleagues join me in expressing gratitude and sympathy, gratitude for his life of service and sympathy for his ultimate sacrifice. without brave men and women like

lance corps wall gilliam to defend our country, we would not be free. those of us who cherish our freedoms must never ever forget that. mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the president pro tempore: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. leahy: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: i ask that the call of the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. the presiding officer: under the previous order, all postcloture time is considered expired. under the previous order, there will be two minutes of debate prior to a vet on the burrows nomination. mr. leahy: mr. president, i don't know if anybody is seeking recognition. if not, i'd ask consent that all time be yielded back. the presiding officer: without objection. all time having been yielded back, the question he occur occe burrows nomination s there a

sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: tr there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not the ayes are 93, nays 2, nomination confirmed. the clerk will report the lopez snotion. the clerk: p. david lopez p. david lopez of jaz to -- of aria to be general counsel. the presiding officer: under the previous order there will be two minutes of debate prior to a vote on the nomination. all time is yielded back.

without objection, the question occurs on the nomination on the lopez nomination. the yeas and nays have been requested. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are required, and the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the ayes are 53, the nays are 43. the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and the president will be moodily notified of the senate's actions. under the previous order, there will be two minutes of debate prior to a vote on the motion to reconsider on the hale nomination. the clerk: cloture motion: we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of david j. hale of kentucky to be united states district judge for the western district of kentucky, signed by 17 senators.

is there objection? without objection. by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of david j. hale of kentucky to be the united states district judge for the western district of kentucky shall be brought it a close? the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not the ayes are 65. the nays are 31 and the motion is agreed to.

the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: the judiciary. david j. halle of kentucky to be united states district judge for the western district of kentucky. the presiding officer: under the previous order there will be two minutes of debate prior to a vote on the motion to vote cloture on the kearney nomination. does anyone yield time? without objection, all time is yielded back. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion. we the undersigned senators in in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the notion of mark kearney of pennsylvania to be united states district judge for the eastern district of pennsylvania signed by 16 senators. the presiding officer: unanimous consent the mandatory quorum call has been waived.

thethe question is is it the see of the senate that the nomination of mark kearney of pennsylvania to be united states district judge of the eastern district of pennsylvania shall be brought to a close? the ayes and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the ayes are 60, the nays are 36. and the motion is agreed to. the the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: mark a. kearney of pennsylvania to be united states district judge for the eastern district of pennsylvania. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will be two minutes of debate prior to the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the pappert nomination. who yields time?

without objection. the clerk will report the motion. the clerk: we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the nomination of gerald j. pappert of pennsylvania to be united states district judge for the eastern district of pennsylvania. signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is: is it the sense oof the senate that debate on te nomination of gerald j. pappert of pennsylvania to be the united states district judge for the eastern district of pennsylvania, shall be brought to a close? the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote: