tomorrow, senators will take votes on the nominations of ann patterson for assistant secretary of state, and jeh johnson for secretary of homeland security. on tuesday, the senate is expected to consider a budget agreement, while on wednesday, senators may vote on the defense bill. >> something we're going to be watching here in the week ahead, tomorrow, a recount begins in fairfax county in the disputed race for virginia's next attorney general. in november's razor thin election, herring narrowly defeated shane by 167 votes. if the recount does not overturn the victory, it would mark the first time democrats held all major statewide offices since 1969. >>> both virginia governor bobp observers are taking note of his stock with just a month ago. >> we sat down with him about his achievements and scandals. >> reporter: the highwater marks for governor bob mcdonnell are clear, from its landslide win, mentioned as a possible vice president candidate and chosen to chair the 2012 gop convention's platform committee. last february, mcdonnell won passage of the signature achievement, the sweep

appeals court, janet yellin's nomination and ann patterson's state department nomination.that is what our new post nuclear holocaust waste land looks like. a senate that can get through nominations through the executi executive branch and judiciary despite cent warnings of payback. >> also would like to point out to my colleagues, particularly those who are new who really drove this change in the senate rules and i want to tell you this. i've been here long enough that what goes around comes around. and what goes around will come around and to their deep regret some day. >> swrojoining me now, chris mu. so, senator, dire warnings that everything would grind to a halt, you will live to regret this. how are you feeling two weeks after the nuclear option has been triggered and you guys got a lot of stuff done. >> we stayed in session overnight and i had to preside late at night. i'm a hlittle tireded, but thats about it. guess what? there's no outrage out on the street about this because people are pretty used to majority votes. it's how the pta decides what to sell at bake s

today the senate voted to confirm ann patterson.iously a very important job up until today and patterson has been our u.s. ambassador to egypt. now she is moving up to one of the top positions in the state department. directly after that vote the senate moved on to the high profile nomination of jay johnson to be secretary of homeland security. republicans had made a halfhearted effort to make his nomination seem mildly controversial. the top lawyer for the whole defense department. he is president obama's pick to succeed janet napolitano and today jay johnson was confirmed, becoming the godzilla sized agency's fourth leader ever. we thought the senate was not coming back until tomorrow but they came back late today to do those five minutes of work basically. now they need to confirm at least one more federal judge. they need to confirm the new chair, and there's the giant farm bill and the giant defense bill and the small matter of a national budget. if they do all of that this week and they say they're going to do it all, that mig

ann w. patterson, as provided under the previous order. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent that the call of the quorum be done away with. the. the presiding officer: without objection. viemed a told that 1*z 1824 is due for another reading. -- mr. reid: i am told that s. 1824 is due for another reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title. the clerk: a bill tommed the safe drinking water act to exempt certain lead pipes, fit, fixtures and solider and flux that contain brass. the presiding officer: i object to any further proceedings with respect to the reading of this bill at this time. the presiding officer: without objection, the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. reid: mr. president, on monday, there will be a series of roll call votes starting at 5:30 in the evening. those votes will be on confirmation of the patterson nomination for assistant

the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of anne w. patterson of virginia, a career member of the senior foreign service classic career ambassador to be assistant secretary of state near eastern affairs, shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll.

today at 3:00 to consider the nominations of and patterson forrester secretary of state -- of ann patterson and jeh johnson. the house has finished legislative business for the year and will be in for a pro forma session at 11 here on c- span. i wish you both a very happy christmas and a bright and prosperous new year. to greet youeasure and to help you open the sale that begins on thanksgiving day of this year. >> would you mind autographing some of the christmas seals as a favor for santa claus? should be delighted. it is one of the things that i do best. [laughter] >> it is a good thing. >> it is a wonderful thing. father, santa claus, gave it to me. >> it has got some of the dogs hair in it. >> first ladies, season two. edith roosevelt to grace coleridge, weeknights at 9:00 on c-span. on c-span, q&a with historian and author margaret macmillan. at 7:00 a.m., "washington your phone live with calls and the days latest news. ? >> this week on "q&a," historian and author margaret macmillan discusses her latest historical narrative entitled, "the war that ended peace -- the road to 1914." ho

today the senate voted to confirm anne patterson as assistant secretary of state for the middle east.mbassador to egypt. before then she used to be the ambassador to pakistan. now she is moving up to one of the top positions in the state department. after that vote the senate moved on to the high-profile nomination of jay johnson to be the secretary of homeland security. republicans made a half-hearted effort to make his nomination seem mildly controversial. one texas congressman kept it so classy as to call jay johnson a political hack. unlike actual political hacks. jay johnson was a general council of the air force and pentagon. the top lawyer for the defense department. she president obama's pick to succeed january janet napolitano and today jay johnson was confirmed becoming that mega godzilla-sized fourth leader ever with an overwhelming vote of 78-16. we thought the senate wasn't coming back until tomorrow but they came back late today to do those five minutes of work basically. now, before the end of the week they need to confirm one more federal judge, the new chair of the fe

ann patterson for assistant of state for near eastern affairs and jay johnson for homeland security secretary. votes on the nominations are not expected to take place until late afternoon monday. the last week be in session until next year. some of the items waiting for budget and thehe 2014 defense programs. the house voted on those bills his week before gavelling out for the winter recess. live coverage of the senate on c-span 2. >> this is a train depot in depot, the oldest building here in plains. if you can imagine, in 1976, the bustle of all of the activities here in the campaign. and ave tables and desks phones going off and letters area. in and out of the s. rosen was here helping to run this campaign from the small building. roslyn carter used during the run for the governor. it's a way to get the word out volunteers going door-to-door, shaking out literature, and spreading the word. method so effective it helped them get elected to the presidency. program on first lady roslyn carter on our slash first an.org ladies. nd monday, we'll start our encore presentation of first adies seaso

the clerk: nomination, anne w. patterson of virginia, a career member of the senior foreign service, to be ambassador. the presiding officer: under the previous order, all postcloture time is expired and the question occurs on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if want, the vote is 78 yeas, 16 nays, the nomination is confirmed. -- the presiding officer: under the previous order, the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: we, the undersigned, hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the nomination of jeh charles johnson of new jersey to be secretary of homeland security. signed by 18 senators. the presiding officer: pursuant to rule 22, the chair now directs the clerk to call the roll to ascertain the presence of a quorum. quorum call: the presiding officer: a quorum is present. the majority leader. a quorum is present. the question is: is it the