Alison Nathan was confirmed as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Thursday after a 48-44 vote.
Nathan will serve as the nation’s second lesbian federal judge, joining U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Batts who currently serves on the bench of the Southern District of New York.
“The President welcomes the confirmation of Alison Nathan. She will serve the American people well from the District Court bench,” said White House spokesman Shin Inouye.
There were no Republicans who voted for Nathan’s appointment.
“Suffice it to say, I believe her record evidences an activist viewpoint,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R- Alabama), the Huffington Post reported.
President Obama nominated Nathan to her newly-elected post. Previously, she served as a White House associate counsel. She also served at the office of New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman (D). Nathan is a Cornell Law School graduate and lives in New York with partner Meg Satterhwaite with her twin sons, Oliver and Nathan.
