Jeffery Rosen faced opposition from Senate Democrats, who criticized him for not having worked at the Justice Department and for lacking experience as a prosecutor. | Department of Transportation via AP white house Senate confirms Jeffrey Rosen to replace Rod Rosenstein at DOJ

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Jeffrey Rosen to replace embattled Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, despite Democratic criticism he wasn’t ready for the job.

The Senate voted 52-45 to confirm Rosen, along party lines.


Rosenstein, who left the Department of Justice last week, oversaw special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election until the investigation was handed off to Attorney General William Barr. It's unlikely Rosen will have any role in overseeing Mueller since Barr is in charge of the probe.

Rosen is currently deputy Transportation secretary. He was general counsel at the Department of Transportation and at the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush. He also worked at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis where he overlapped briefly with Barr.

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Prior to the vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) praised Rosen for a “rock-solid legal reputation." Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who introduced Rosen to the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing, said Rosen has "the experience skills and the temperament we want in a deputy attorney general."

But Rosen faced opposition from Senate Democrats, who criticized him for not having worked at the Justice Department and for lacking experience as a prosecutor.

“We need a Deputy Attorney General who knows the Justice Department,,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a statement after Rosen's confirmation. “Mr. Rosen simply does not have the qualifications for this critical assignment.”

President Donald Trump nominated Rosen to replace Rosenstein in February.