Senate

Senate confirms executive, judicial nominees

The Senate voted to confirm two of President Obama’s nominees on Monday.

{mosads}Robin Rosenbaum was confirmed on a 91-0 vote to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit.

“Judge Rosenbaum is clearly not controversial,” Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said ahead of the vote, citing his Republican counterpart Sen. Marco Rubio’s (Fla.) support for her nomination. “She’s going to make a fine addition to the Eleventh Circuit.”

Last week, the Senate voted 58-36 to end debate on Rosenbaum’s nominations. 

Senate Democrats have been able to easily advance most of Obama’s executive and judicial nominations since they used the “nuclear option” to unilaterally change filibuster rules. Now only a simple majority is needed to end debate on nominees instead of the previously needed 60 votes. 

On Monday, the Senate also confirmed Steven Croley to be General Counsel of the Department of Energy by voice-vote.