Senate

The Senate on Wednesday unanimously confirmed Robert Mueller to a second term as FBI director.

The House and the Senate both approved bills earlier in the month to extend the term of the director past the 10-year limit required by the law. Mueller will be allowed to serve two additional years. 

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Wednesday said the proposals offered by Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are both probably too weak to avert a downgrade of the U.S. credit rating. 

“Senator Reid has offered a proposal, the House has offered a proposal and neither one of them are strong enough,” said Corker, who is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

Sen. McCain said it is “foolish” for Republican colleagues to claim a balanced-budget amendment could pass this week.

The Senate unanimously confirmed Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as the next U.S. ambassador to China on Wednesday morning.

Locke is replacing Jon Huntsman, who resigned his post in April to run for the GOP nomination for the presidency in 2012.

"Our relationship with China is one of the most critical of the 21st century," said President Obama when he nominated Locke in March.

"As the grandson of a Chinese immigrant who went on to live the American dream, Gary is the right person to continue this cooperation," said Obama. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) attacked Speaker of the House John Boehner's (R-Ohio) deficit-reduction plan from the Senate floor on Wednesday, calling the proposal "unbelievable."

"What a way to proceed," exclaimed Reid, regarding Boehner's plan. "Its just unbelievable they would even come up with such a program."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) advanced legislation Tuesday night that would force the Treasury Department to prioritize interest and principle payments to creditors, as well as payments of Social Security checks and soldier's salaries in the event that Congress does not raise it's debt ceiling in time.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) on Tuesday described in detail an imaginary basketball game he would play with President Obama in which he would explain why he thinks it’s unfair to single out the aviation industry for tax hikes. 

“Perhaps he could actually invite me," Roberts said on the Senate floor. "[E]verybody knows the president is a very good basketball player."

Sen. Reid accused the Speaker of being beholden to Tea Party conservatives, and questioned his commitment to avoiding a default.

The Senate on Tuesday afternoon confirmed two noncontroversial nominees to serve on District Courts.

Paul Engelmayer was confirmed 98-0 to be a District Judge for the Southern District of New York and Ramona Villagomez Manglona was unanimously confirmed to be a District Judge for the Northern Mariana Islands.

The Senate now stands in recess until 2:15 p.m. to accommodate caucus luncheons.

The plan is “another attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the American people,” Sen. McConnell said.