WASHINGTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Jeffrey Rosen to be the new deputy attorney general, succeeding Rod Rosenstein, who left the Justice Department last week.

Rosen was confirmed along party lines by a vote of 52 to 45 in the Republican-controlled Senate. He becomes the Justice Department's No. 2 official.

Rosenstein, who submitted his resignation in April and left the Department of Justice last week, oversaw special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election until the inquiry was handed off to Attorney General William Barr.

Rosen most recently served as the deputy secretary at the Department of Transportation. He previously served in the George W. Bush administration and practiced law at the Kirkland & Ellis law firm.

U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Rosen for the post in February. Senate Democrats criticized him for lacking experience as a prosecutor.