The panel voted 13-10 to approve the nomination of Joseph Otting, a former bank executive, to become comptroller of the currency, the top regulator of national banks. Democrat Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota voted in favor.
A handful of Democrats joined Republicans in a 17-6 vote to clear former George W. Bush Treasury official and private equity financier Randal Quarles to be the vice chairman of supervision at the Federal Reserve.
In that role, Quarles would be the most hands-on official in the Trump administration's effort to lower regulatory burdens. He would also have a vote on monetary policy decisions at the central bank, which is now understaffedand faces a major change at the hands of Trump.
Otting's confirmation, however, has proved more contentious because of his past leadership of OneWest, the regional bank that was part owned by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
During hearings, Democrats sought to highlight OneWest customers who suffered foreclosures and received bad treatment.
More generally, though, liberals oppose the Trump administration's efforts to roll back some of the new rules imposed on banks in the wake of the financial crisis.
Sherrod Brown, the Ohio senator who is the ranking Democrat on the panel, said at Thursday's vote it isn't clear if Otting and Quarles will serve the public rather than Wall Street.
"The White House looks like a retreat for Wall Street executives," he quipped.