The Latest: Senate approves Trump appeals court nominee

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s nominees to the nation’s largest federal appeals court (all times local):

10:30 a.m.

The U.S. Senate has narrowly confirmed one of President Donald Trump’s nominees to the nation’s largest federal appeals court.

Senators voted 51-44 on Thursday to appoint Idaho attorney Ryan Douglas Nelson to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The San Francisco-based court hears cases from nine Western states.

Only one Democrat, Doug Jones of Alabama, voted in favor of Nelson. The Leadership Conference, a coalition of civil and human rights groups, accused Nelson of being a conservative ideologue who had a troubling record on the environment.

Idaho’s two Republican senators, Mike Crapo and James Risch, supported Nelson’s nomination. Crapo said in a statement that Nelson understands that a judge is not supposed to make laws.

Nelson most recently served as general counsel of health care and home products company Melaleuca. He takes over a seat vacated by N. Randy Smith, a nominee of Republican President George W. Bush.

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7:30 a.m.

Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris say they did not sign off on three White House nominees for open California seats on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and will oppose their confirmation.

President Trump announced this week that he had nominated Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Patrick Bumatay, Los Angeles appellate attorney Daniel Collins and Los Angeles litigator Kenneth Kiyul Lee for California-based vacancies.

The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said she and the administration were still trying to reach a consensus on nominees when the White House abruptly announced them.

White House Counsel Donald McGahn said in a letter that the administration made a good faith effort to work with California’s senators, both Democrats.

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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/