The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday in favor of President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi. The vote was divided along party lines, with 12 Republicans voting in favor, and 10 Democrats voting against. The vote means Bondi's nomination will now be presented to the full Senate for a vote on her confirmation. If confirmed, Bondi will head the Justice Department and serve as the top law enforcement officer in the United States. Bondi is a former Florida attorney general who served as a defense lawyer for Trump in his first presidential Senate impeachment trial, where he was acquitted – largely on party lines – of abusing power by withholding aid to Ukraine in order to pressure Ukraine's government to investigate then-Vice President Joe Biden.

The Republican-led U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday advanced President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee Pam Bondi, paving the way for the full Senate to vote to confirm the former Florida attorney general as soon as this week. The panel approved her nomination in a 12-10 vote with Democrats opposed amid concerns over whether Bondi will resist potentially improper or illegal orders from Trump. Bondi, 59, vowed to maintain the Justice Department's independence during her confirmation hearing earlier this month, telling lawmakers she will not inject politics into criminal or civil investigations.

She secured the votes of the committee's 12 Republicans, with all 10 Democrats voting against. Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, made a name for herself in Florida by cracking down on drug trafficking, violent crime and the many "pill mills" operating in the state. She also spent 18 years as a prosecutor for the Hillsborough County state attorney's office, giving her the experience that many believe she will need to serve as the top U.S. attorney. Bondi was expected to see a glide path to confirmation ahead of Wednesday’s vote. Her nomination to be President Donald Trump's attorney general also earned the praise of more than 110 former senior Justice Department officials, including former attorneys general, and dozens of Democratic and Republican state attorneys general, who praised her experience and work across party and state lines.