Emil Bove has narrowly cleared another procedural hurdle toward a lifetime seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Senate voted 50-48 to proceed with consideration of Bove’s nomination, with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins siding with all Democrats in opposition. Bove is President Donald Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, and he is now serving as principal associate deputy attorney general as he awaits confirmation to a judgeship on the federal bench.
Democrats have argued Bove is unfit to sit on the powerful appeals court, pointing to, among other things, allegations he suggested defying court orders for the administration’s deportation agenda. That opposition boiled over in the Senate Judiciary Committee last week when Democrats walked out of the panel’s vote in protest over chair Chuck Grassley’s decision to pause debate on Bove’s nomination.
Bove has proven to be among a handful of emerging nominees from the administration who have divided the Senate GOP. After lack of sufficient support tanked Ed Martin’s chances to be U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia, questions are also now mounting around Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee abruptly withdrew consideration of Ingrassia’s nomination at a hearing Thursday.
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