Harold Koh

Koh Confirmed To State Department

Brian Beutler | June 25, 2009, 5:11PM

The State Department (finally) has a new legal adviser. Harold Koh was confirmed by the Senate this afternoon by a vote of 62-35.

That's actually a slightly narrower margin than he received on the cloture vote that ended the filibuster on his nomination. That vote was 65-31, indicating that a small handful of senators didn't support the filibuster, but then voted against confirmation. We'll track down who those senators are once the roll call goes live. Their precedent is one that supporters of Justice Department nominee Dawn Johnsen have been hoping for for months. But at least for the time being it seems as if very few of her opponents are willing to at least support giving her an up or down vote.

Late update: Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Judd Gregg (R-NH) voted to end the filibuster on Koh, and then voted against his confirmation.

Harold Koh

Senate Votes To Invoke Cloture On Nomination Of Harold Koh

Brian Beutler | June 24, 2009, 11:52AM

At about 11 this morning, the Senate voted 65-31 to invoke cloture on the nomination of Harold Koh to be the State Department's legal adviser. You'll be able to see the roll call here momentarily.

Once cloture is invoked, debate is limited to 30 hours after which a vote on confirmation is required. And according to Laura Rozen, Republicans are threatening to use up all 30 hours. So it may take another day before Koh is officially confirmed.

Harold Koh

Report: Democrats File For Cloture On Harold Koh

Brian Beutler | June 22, 2009, 6:34PM

Well, that didn't take two weeks at all, did it! Dave Weigel of The Washington Independent reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has just filed cloture on the nomination of Harold Koh to be legal adviser to the State Department.

Koh has raised howls on the right and Reid has been waiting until he's certain Koh could overcome a filibuster.

Harold Koh

Koh Vote In Next Two Weeks?

Brian Beutler | June 22, 2009, 8:56AM

That's what members of the Facebook group "We Support Harold Hongju Koh" believe.

Last night, after yesterday's phone bank, we got word from inside sources that Senator Reid believes Harold has enough votes, and has decided to file for cloture on the nomination sometime in the next two weeks. While we do not have an exact date yet, it's an indication that all of your calling is working!

A Think Progress source confirms this time line. Keep in mind, though, that as of two weeks ago, at least one anonymous senator had placed a hold on Koh's nomination, and holds are usually honored as a matter of courtesy in the Senate.

Harold Koh

Anonymous Senator Places Hold On Key Obama Legal Pick Koh

Brian Beutler | June 3, 2009, 6:44PM

Add Harold Koh to the list of Obama nominees whom Republicans have decided to slow walk to confirmation. At least one senator is, anonymously, holding Koh's nomination, according to a Senate source.

Koh, who if confirmed will serve as legal adviser to the State Department, was reported out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about three weeks ago, but has languished ever since--a fact which, I'd imagine, makes him thrilled that he resigned as Dean of Yale's Law School in order to serve in government.

Recall that before the committee vote, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) also placed a hold on Koh's nomination. That delay only lasted a week.

Read more »

Harold Koh

Koh's Nomination Approved By Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Brian Beutler | May 12, 2009, 11:11AM

Harold Koh has been reported out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a 12 to 5 vote, according to a committee spokesperson. Ranking member, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) voted with the committee's 11 Democrats to advance Koh's nomination to be the State Department's Legal Adviser to the Senate floor.

Koh's vote in committee had been scheduled for last week, but, without explanation, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) delayed that vote until today's hearing, and then opposed the former Yale Law School Dean. Republicans could potentially use similar tactics to delay a full vote, and a number of conservative activists are hoping to spike the nomination entirely.

Harold Koh

Koh Held By DeMint

Brian Beutler | May 5, 2009, 4:50PM

Just a quick update on the nomination of Harold Koh to be the State Department's legal adviser. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was supposed to hold a vote today on whether to favorably report him to the full Senate, but was prevented from doing so by Sen. Jim DeMint (D-SC) who's placed a hold both on his nomination and on the nomination of Susan Burk to be the President's Special Representative for Non-Proliferation.

The holds will last until at least the committee's business meeting next week. DeMint didn't cite any particular reason for placing them, but I've placed a call to his office asking for an explanation.

Harold Koh

Oh Yeah! Harold Koh's Nomination Hearing

Brian Beutler | April 28, 2009, 4:47PM

I mentioned earlier that we'd be closely following today's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nomination of Harold Koh to be State Department Legal Adviser. But then--well, you know. I haven't forgotten, though, and here's a bit of an update.

You can read the prepared statements from committee chairman John Kerry (D-MA), ranking member Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Koh himself (all PDFs) here. However, if you're in the mood for some slightly denser, but more interesting reading, check out this Q&A. Lugar asked Koh a bunch of questions for the record (including on such hot-button issues as "transnational justice") in advance of the hearing and Koh responded in full last week.

A committee source says Lugar set a cordial and laudatory tone in his opening statement, and suspects that he will vote to move Koh's nomination out of committee when it meets to discuss business a week from today.