Maybe because it was the final vote of the Senate’s week, there was not much fanfare when Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky came to the floor Thursday afternoon to cast his 11,000th vote.

The real tributes came earlier in 2018, when he surpassed Bob Dole of Kansas to become the longest-serving Republican leader in the chamber’s history.

The vote occurred on confirmation of Paul C. Ney Jr., to be general counsel of the Department of Defense. Ney won confirmation, 70-23, as senators dashed for the exits.

McConnell was again on the Senate floor shortly after the vote to set up next week’s schedule, which will again focus on executive calendar business. McConnell filed motions to limit debate on three of President Donald Trump’s nominations.

The motions were filed with respect to the nominations of Randal Quarles for the Federal Reserve, Andrew Oldham for a seat on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and Ryan Bounds to be a U.S. circuit judge for the Ninth Circuit.