A Senate motion yesterday to invoke cloture on the nomination of Robert L. Wilkins to a D.C. Circuit vacancy failed to obtain the necessary 60 votes. The vote tally was 53 in favor, 38 against, and one voting present (the functional equivalent of a no vote).
As with the recent unsuccessful cloture votes on the D.C. Circuit nominations of Patricia Millett and Cornelia Pillard, the only two Republicans to support cloture were Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.