Trump's D.C. Circuit nominee Neomi Rao passes key vote

The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to advance the nomination of Neomi Rao, President Trump's pick to replace Brett Kavanaugh on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Why it matters: The D.C. Circuit feeds judges to the Supreme Court. As Axios' Jonathan Swan reported, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) had said he had "deep concerns" about Rao's judicial philosophy and that he would only support nominees who have "a strong record on life." Hawley and every Republican senator on the committee nonetheless voted to advance Rao's nomination to the full Senate floor.

Go deeper: Trump's pick for Kavanaugh replacement grilled over controversial op-eds