The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines Wednesday to advance the nomination of Pam Bondi to be attorney general, moving her along the path to confirmation.
Ahead of the vote, Republicans praised Bondi’s experience as Florida attorney general prior to her nomination. Democrats raised concerns about the independence of the nation’s chief law enforcement officer from a president like Donald Trump, who has called for criminal prosecutions of his critics.
None of the chamber’s 53 Republicans has said they would oppose Bondi’s confirmation, a sign that she appears likely to take the lead of a Justice Department responsible for federal criminal prosecution and a wide array of law enforcement, along with immigration courts, voting rights and antitrust enforcement.
