Reid has Obama nominee X-mas list

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday threatened to keep the Senate in session through Christmas Eve in order to confirm a number of President Obama’s nominations.

Reid said the Senate would consider a bipartisan budget deal Tuesday and the defense authorization bill on Wednesday.

{mosads}He then listed more than 10 nominees he said were critically important to confirm, including Janet Yellen to head the Federal Reserve and John Koskinen as director of the Internal Revenue Service.

Reid frequently threatens to keep the Senate in session on weekends and holidays to spur it to do work, and then fails to follow through on his threats. 

As recently as last week, Reid warned he would keep the Senate in session this past weekend. The Senate ended up finishing its work week on Friday. 

Tensions over nominations are high in the wake of the move by Reid and Senate Democrats to change the upper chamber’s rules to prevent the minority from filibustering administrative and judicial nominees. 

Senate Republicans insisted the Senate stay in session constantly, as a protest against the rule change. They kept the Senate in session for more than two days straight.

“Last week was difficult for the entire Senate community,” Reid said. “When cooperation is lacking, as it was last week, completing the business before this body becomes much more difficult.”

Reid said that if Republicans “cooperate” the Senate could still complete all of its work by Thursday, but said he was willing to keep the Senate in session until Christmas Eve if necessary.