The US Senate confirmed Joe Biden's first judicial nominee onto a federal bench Tuesday, fulfilling the opening step in the president's priority to promote diversity in the nation's courts.

By a bipartisan vote of 66 to 33, Julien Neals, who is African American, was confirmed as the newest judge for the US District of New Jersey.

A second Biden judicial pick, Regina Rodriguez, saw her nomination advance in the Senate Tuesday and was expected to receive a confirmation vote later in the day.