Senate HELP advances Trump labor secretary pick amid broader confirmation fights

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 12-11 to advance Keith Sonderling’s nomination to lead the Labor Department, with acting duties since April amid an internal scrutiny at the agency. The live-updates also note Republicans defeating a Democratic amendment to block an IRS audit-immunity deal for Trump, ongoing talks on Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination, and plans to attach year-round E15 ethanol provisions to the farm bill, while CDC and ASPR nominations (Erica Schwartz and Sean Kaufman) move forward on party lines, reflecting a crowded, partisan confirmation calendar ahead of the August recess.