Senate

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.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday said Republicans' continued opposition to his $2.7 trillion deficit-reduction plan could only be explained by their desire to play partisan politics. 

"It's everything thing Republicans have demanded wrapped up in a bow and delivered to their door," said Reid in peddling his package from the Senate floor.  

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday morning blasted the $2.7 trillion deficit-reduction proposal put forth by his Democratic counterpart, suggesting it was designed to deceive the American people. 

"The majority leader's plan is nothing more than another attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the American people," said McConnell of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (Nev.) proposal, which is currently pending on the Senate floor.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday evening called his $2.7 trillion deficit-reduction package to the Senate floor. 

Reid’s plan would cut $2.7 trillion from the deficit over the next decade and would not raise any new revenue or make cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. It would raise the debt ceiling through 2012. 

Reid called his proposal "sound legislation" and said it included “everything the Republicans have asked for." 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) canceled two judicial confirmation votes scheduled for Monday afternoon, saying a storm system had delayed senators in their travel to Washington, D.C.

The votes on the confirmation of Paul Engelmayer to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York and Ramona Villagomez Manglona to be a District Judge for the Northern Mariana Islands are now scheduled for 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday blasted President Obama for bringing reelection considerations into debt-ceiling negotiations over the weekend.

In particular, McConnell targeted Obama for demanding in a press conference on Friday that the final package “extend the debt ceiling through the next election." 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday said his $2.7 trillion deficit-reduction package includes everything House Republicans have demanded in negotiations so far.  

“The proposal provides everything the House Republicans have said they needed for an agreement to avert default and cut the deficit,” said Reid. “I hope my colleagues on the other side will still know a good deal when they see it.”

A small group of senators late last week introduced legislation aimed at reducing more than $100 billion in "improper government payments," such as Social Security payments made out to the deceased.

The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act, introduced by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), seeks to strengthen last year's Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act. "This bill brings the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act to the next level and makes it stronger, more robust and more effective at preventing and recovering improper payments," Carper said.