Senate votes to proceed with confirmation vote on SEC nominee

By Sarah N. Lynch
FILE PHOTO - Jay Clayton is sworn in to testify at a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on his nomination of to be chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate took a procedural vote on Monday to clear the way for confirming Jay Clayton as the next head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In a 60-36 vote, the Republican-led Senate voted to end debate on Clayton, with some Democrats joining Republicans in support. A final confirmation vote is expected later this week, and the Senate may take up to 30 hours to debate his confirmation prior to the vote. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Peter Cooney)