The Senate Judiciary Committee today approved the nomination of Debo Adegbile to run the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, despite objections from Republicans for his appellate work on behalf of a convicted killer.

The committee voted, 10-8, to move Adegbile’s nomination to the full Senate, where it is uncertain when he might get a final vote. Under the Senate’s new rules, however, Adegbile’s nomination needs only a simple majority to win approval.