Judical Watch confirmed that Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) is being investigated over allegations that he sexually harassed a staffer.

Tuesday night debate on a bill to eliminate the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) resolved nothing, and if anything made it more clear that the bill runs the risk of failing on Wednesday, as all Democratic speakers spoke out against it.

The bill, H.R. 672, is up Wednesday on the suspension calendar, which means two-thirds of all voting members to support it for passage. Republicans would likely need more than 40 Democrats to support the bill for passage, but Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas), one of the three Democratic members of the House Committee on Administration, predicted that Democrats would defeat the bill Wednesday.

House Republicans will meet Wednesday to discuss two resolutions, one to authorize force in Libya, and another requiring a U.S. withdrawal

The House has been in and out all day for brief periods of time, and at about 6 p.m. finished debate on four controversial bills that would name post offices in Texas, Ohio and Mississippi.

After voting on these bills at 6:30 p.m., the House will start a debate on H.R. 672, the Election Support Consolidation and Efficiency Act. The bill would repeal the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), something Democrats oppose.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) postponed a planned vote on legislation that would streamline the judicial confirmation process because of a pending deal with Republican lawmakers.

Reid noted that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was on the verge of striking a deal with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) that would allow the bill to come down by unanimous consent.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had strong words for Sen. Joe Manchin (D) on the Senate floor Tuesday after the junior senator from West Virginia delivered a speech calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.  

“I feel compelled to respond to the statements by the senator from West Virginia that characterize the isolationist withdrawal, lack of knowledge of history attitude, that seems to be on the rise in America,” said McCain. “In case he forgot it or never knew it, we withdrew from Afghanistan one time and the Taliban came, followed by al Qaeda, followed by attacks on the United States.” 

Sen. Boxer, the bill's sponsor, noted that it was the content of the amendments that ensured the bill’s demise.

The Senate unanimously approved Leon Panetta's nomination to become the next secretary of Defense.

The Senate on Tuesday afternoon confirmed Michael H. Simon to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Oregon.

Simon was first nominated in 2010, and was renominated earlier this year after his nomination failed to come up for a Senate vote.

Simon had a fair amount of bipartisan support, and was approved in a 64-35 vote. Eleven Republicans voted in favor of the confirmation: Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Scott Brown (Mass.), Susan Collins (Maine), John Cornyn (Texas), Lindsey Graham (SC), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Dick Lugar (Ind.), John McCain (Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Olympia Snowe (Maine).

All "no" votes came from Republicans.