The Senate confirmed a judicial nominee on Tuesday who was rated as "not qualified" by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Senators voted, 50-48, to confirm Leonard Steven Grasz's nomination to be a circuit judge for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Grasz was widely expected to be confirmed, though Republicans were forced to hold open a procedural vote on his nomination for roughly an hour and a half Monday night as they waited for a GOP senator to show up and break a potential tie.

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Democrats have slammed Republicans for moving forward with Grasz's nomination despite the ABA rating him "not qualified."

"A panel of nonpartisan, legal experts unanimously concluded that this man is not fit to be a judge. What else do my colleagues need to know?" Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSenate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' Jacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee MORE (D-N.Y.) asked from the Senate floor.

He added that "more broadly, these attacks, in small but important ways, diminish our democracy."

Grasz was the second of Trump's judicial nominees to receive a "not qualified" rating from the ABA.

"As you know, the Standing Committee confines its evaluation to the qualities of integrity, professional competence, and judicial temperament," the outside group wrote to Sens. Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyCollins says she will vote 'no' on Supreme Court nominee before election The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump, GOP allies prepare for SCOTUS nomination this week Gardner signals support for taking up Supreme Court nominee this year MORE (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinBiden leads Trump by 12 points among Catholic voters: poll Names to watch as Trump picks Ginsburg replacement on Supreme Court McConnell says Trump nominee to replace Ginsburg will get Senate vote MORE (D-Calif.), the top members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Grasz, a senior counsel at a firm in Omaha, previously served as the chief deputy attorney general for the state of Nebraska.

Republicans have stepped up their criticism of the American Bar Association.

Sen. Ben Sasse Benjamin (Ben) Eric SasseGovernment watchdog recommends creation of White House cyber director position Chamber of Commerce endorses McSally for reelection Ben Sasse is mistaken with idea for the election of senators in America MORE (R-Neb.), during a Judiciary Committee hearing last month, called the ABA a "liberal advocacy organization."

"That’s not a bad thing. You can be a liberal advocacy organization. You have First Amendment rights and you should use them. What’s not OK is being a liberal advocacy organization and be masquerading as a neutral evaluator of these judicial candidates," he said.

The Trump administration notified the ABA in March that it was ending its long-standing practice of inviting its independent Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary to review the professional qualifications of prospective nominees to the lower federal courts on a pre-nomination basis.

Democrats don't have the ability to block Trump's court picks without help from Republicans.

In 2013, under then-Majority Leader Harry Reid Harry Mason ReidThe Supreme Court vacancy — yet another congressional food fight Trump seeks to turn around campaign with Supreme Court fight On The Trail: Battle over Ginsburg replacement threatens to break Senate MORE (D-Nev.), Democrats got rid of the 60-vote filibuster for lower court nominees. Republicans followed suit earlier this year on Supreme Court nominations.

And Grassley decided earlier this year to move forward with circuit court nominations over the objections of home state senators. Democratic senators were publicly threatening that they wouldn't return their blue slip on two circuit court vacancies in an effort to quash the nominations.