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Senate in round-the-clock session to confirm DeVos, rest of Trump Cabinet

Posted at 1:50 PM, Feb 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-06 13:50:55-05

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate will be in session around the clock this week as Republicans aim to confirm more of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks over Democratic opposition.

Democrats intend to drag out the process as much as possible using all the time they can under the Senate’s rules.

That means keeping the Senate in session 24 hours a day, beginning Monday as senators head to a showdown vote on Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos.

DeVos, a wealthy GOP donor, has drawn particularly fierce opposition. Two GOP senators have announced plans to oppose her, which could result in a 50-50 Senate vote Tuesday. That would leave Vice President Mike Pence in the role of tie-breaker.

Votes will follow later in the week on picks for attorney general, Treasury, and other posts.