President Obama's nomination forFHFA director – Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.) – failed to garner enoughvotes to advance in the Senate on Thursday.

The final vote count on a motion to proceed to a vote on Watt'snomination was 56 to 42, short of the 60 votes required to moveforward.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had filed cloture on the matter on Monday.

Reacting to the vote, Senate Banking Committee Chairman TimJohnson (D-S.D.) said Watt was blocked simply because he's a politician.

“It is disappointing that a sitting member of Congress with over40 years of relevant experience was denied an up-or-down vote by aminority of senators today. It is not a secret that this vote waspure obstructionist politics at play,” said Johnson in astatement.

“The last FHFA nominee, North Carolina's Insurance CommissionerJoe Smith, a technocrat, was also denied a vote. Now,Congressman Watt is being blocked because he is a 'politician,'never mind the fact that he has worked on housing policy for 21years as a member of the House Financial Services Committee,”Johnson's statement said.

Johnson vowed to continue the fight to get Watt confirmed.

“This is not the end for Congressman Watt's nomination,” hesaid.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) joined the Senate GOP in voting againstWatt's nomination.

“I think this is the wrong job for this good man,” saidToomey.

“There is no parallel in our country for an institution where somuch power is concentrated in one person,” the Pennsylvania senatorsaid.

Edward DeMarco has been serving as acting director.