This morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nominations of John Bush, Kevin Newsom, Tim Kelly, and Damien Schiff to the senate floor.  On one end of the spectrum, Newsom and Kelly were advanced with bipartisan support (the former with just two senators dissenting, and the latter by voice vote).  On the other end, Bush and Schiff attracted unanimous opposition from Democrats.

While the outcome of the committee vote was pre-ordained after GOP skeptics announced their support for Bush and Schiff, both nominees have a narrow margin for error on the senate floor.  Opponents will likely now turn their attention to lobbying moderate Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).  While Republicans are unlikely to run afoul of Bush’s sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), there is a small chance some senators may choose to oppose Schiff.