Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Tuesday filed a cloture motion to proceed to the nomination of U.S. Trade Representative nominee Robert Lighthizer.
[Dan Dupont] May 9th, 2017 [Inside U.S. Trade]
McConnell has been unable to move on Lighthizer via a unanimous consent request opposed by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), as Inside U.S. Trade first reported on May 9.
Instead, McConnell filed the first of two cloture motions late on Tuesday; a second will be needed to end debate, sources have said.
A cloture motion filed on Tuesday or early Wednesday likely would mean the nomination – which is expected to be easily approved – would not be put to a full Senate vote until May 15, these sources said.
