The Senate has been forced to recess temporarily this afternoon after Senate Republicans objected to resuming a Judiciary Committee hearing on coercive interrogation techniques. The Hill reports that the objection was made as part of a continuing and unrelated protest over stalled judicial nominations. Some progress was made on that front today as the Senate confirmed three district court nominees.
Under Senate Rule 26, no committee can meet for a hearing after the Senate has been gaveled into session for two hours. Often referred to as the “two-hour rule,” it is frequently waived by a unanimous consent request so that committees can meet and / or resume around scheduled votes throughout the day.
In this case, however, Senate Republicans have cited the two-hour rule in their objection to continuing a hearing that began this morning. Senators were forced to temporarily stop the hearings because of this morning’s votes and the weekly party caucus lunches.
To counter this objection, Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) will temporarily recess the full body which gives parliamentary clearance to the hearing’s continuation. The Senate will not resume legislative session until the hearing is completed.
More information about this hearing, including a witness list and link to a live webcast, can be found here.
Update: The Senate is now back in session.
