McConnell to set up vote for Trump’s FBI pick before recess

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is reportedly hoping to confirm President Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Christopher Wray, before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess.

“We intend to confirm Christopher Wray before the August state work period,” David Popp, a spokesman for McConnell, told Politico in an article published late Monday. “Even though Senate Democrats have brought unprecedented obstruction to the nominations process this year for no good reason, we hope they do not sink to a new low and force the first-ever cloture vote on an FBI director nominee.”

{mosads}Trump nominated Wray last month to replace former FBI Director James Comey, whom the president abruptly fired in May. 

Wray, who led the Justice Department’s Criminal Division under former President George W. Bush, passed through his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, even winning the support of some Democrats.

That committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to advance Wray’s nomination, though any senator could request that the vote be delayed by a week.

While Senate Republicans do not need Democratic votes to confirm Wray as the nation’s next top cop, they do need bipartisan support to quickly hold a final vote on the nominee. 

McConnell delayed the start of the August recess last week, meaning that the Kentucky Republican will have an additional two weeks to push a vote on Wray forward.