WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate voted on Wednesday to end a standoff over Alvaro Bedoya’s nomination to the Federal Trade Commission. It narrowly approved an attempt to proceed with Bedoya’s confirmation.

With Vice President Kamala Harris ending a tie of 50-50 votes, the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was able to guide Bedoya to her expected confirmation vote.

Georgetown Law School’s Bedoya is a Democrat.

The Senate votes on nominations twice, once for debate and one to confirm them, but Bedoya needed an extra vote because the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee was tied at 14-14 over whether to nominate him to the Senate’s floor.

The Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Son was similarly covered by the committee.

Because both FCC/FTC are divided between Republicans and Democrats respectively, the confirmation of Sohn or Bedoya would enable Democrats to use the commissions’ power to promote initiatives the Republicans don’t support.