( CNN ) -- Democrats are taunting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for effectively allowing them a victory on a controversial nominee for surgeon general . Physician Vivek Murthy was confirmed Monday night on a 51-43 vote despite stiff opposition from the National Rifle Association , due in large part to Cruz 's unsuccessful maneuver this weekend meant to register GOP opposition to Obama 's executive action on deportations . The Texas Republican kept his colleagues in the Capitol through Saturday , intending to get a vote on whether the President 's move was constitutional . With the Senate in session , Democrats were able to clear procedural barriers in the nomination process , originally thought to be too time consuming to finish before the Christmas recess . Cruz 's keeping the Senate open allowed Democrats to clear those steps on a number of presidential nominees , some of them controversial , making it easier for them to win final confirmation this week . Murthy had long faced fierce opposition from Republicans , and particularly the gun lobby , for a letter he had signed calling for stricter gun control policies , and because he launched the pro-Obamacare group Doctors for America . So when he was confirmed on Monday night , Democrats could barely contain their glee â€ ” Â expressing it in part on Twitter . The Senate Democrats ' account blamed both Cruz and Utah Sen. Mike Lee , both of whom forced their colleagues to stay in session through the weekend . Opinion : Surgeon general 's win is a political miracle . White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer , former Obama campaign manager David Axelrod and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid 's communications director , Adam Jentleson , all joined in the chorus . Cruz spokeswoman Amanda Carpenter responded in similar fashion , suggesting Cruz 's gambit ultimately did n't matter . But the progressive group Center for American Progress saw it differently . .
Murthy was confirmed Saturday night on a 51 -43 vote as the next Surgeon General . His nomination had been held up in part because of procedural hurdles in the Senate . Those hurdles were cleared in part due to the Doctors for America being in session through Saturday .