Senate

The Senate will take up a measure to authorize military force in Libya for up to one year.

The Senate completed a 25-second pro forma session just after 11 a.m. on Friday.

Most senators have left for the Independence Day recess but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) ordered the unusual pro forma session in order to keep the clock running.

Reid wants to hold a vote on a resolution to authorize President Obama's action in Libya, and he needs to accrue some hours. 

"The Tea Party doesn’t like politicians," Sen. DeMint said. "These are people who are independent."

The Democratic leader of the Senate has introduced a measure asking the wealthy to make a large contribution to deficit reduction. 

The Senate honored cowboys Friday as members continued to bicker over a Libya resolution and budget talks.

Ryan Crocker was confirmed by the Senate as the new ambassador to Afghanistan.

Crocker was unanimously confirmed to the position on Thursday. He succeeds Karl Eikenberry, who reportedly kept strained relations with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

Crocker previously served as ambassador to Iraq. He's also worked for the foreign service in Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan and Syria.

During his confirmation hearing, Crocker conceded that corruption still plagues Afghanistan.

He said there were similar problems in Iraq but that they seemed harder in Afghanistan.

"If Iraq was hard —and it was hard— Afghanistan in many respects is harder," Crocker said, according to CNN.

Crocker's confirmation came a few weeks after President Obama unveiled his timetable for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) made a procedural move on Thursday night to bring a resolution to support President Obama's military action against Moammar Gadhafi's regime in Libya to the Senate floor.

A vote is now scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon on whether or not the Senate can officially debate that resolution, authored Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.).

“The goal for all of us here in this body should not be to cut and run from Libya, but to ensure that we succeed,” said McCain, speaking out in favor of S.J.Res 20 earlier this month.

The resolution would authorize a limited role for the U.S. in the NATO operation and prohibit President Obama from deploying ground troops. 

The Senate adjourned just before 7 p.m., Thursday and will reconvene briefly for a pro forma session on Friday so that that day will count towards time required by Senate rule for a vote to occur on the Libya resolution by Tuesday. 

Before adjourning the Senate also approved a number of judicial and executive nominees by unanimous consent.

Sen. John Cornyn is slated to headline a Republican fundraiser just hours after he criticized President Obama for fundraising.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.): "Maybe if he would just take a Valium and calm down ... it might be helpful."

The action forced Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to postpone action on the long-awaited agreements.