The U.S. Senate voted on . Thursday to approve Loretta Lynch as President Barack Obama's . next attorney general, ending a five-month deadlock that made . Lynch wait longer for confirmation than the last seven attorneys . general combined. The first black woman to become the top U.S. law enforcement . official, Lynch, 55, was approved by a 56-43 vote. Curiously absent from the final vote was Texas Senator Ted Cruz - a key opponent of Lynch's nomination. He was the only member of the Senate who did not cast a vote. A copy of a Cruz for President invitation later began flying around Twitter that showed the GOP presidential candidate had skipped town early to make an appearance at a fundraiser at the home of former Texas Rangers owner and billionaire Tom Hicks. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . IN: The first black woman to become the top U.S. law enforcement official, Lynch, 55, was approved by a 56-43 vote, with 10 Republicans joining with Senate Democrats to approve her . OUT: She is expected to take over as head of the U.S. Justice Department on Monday, replacing Eric Holder . Lynch is expected to take over as head of the U.S. Justice Department on Monday, replacing Eric Holder. The White House said it did not know when exactly Lynch would be sworn in but it wasn't likely to be today. President Barack Obama said in a statement after that the vote that 'America will be better off' having Lynch as its next top cop. 'She will bring to bear her experience as a tough, independent, and well-respected prosecutor on key, bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform,' he said. 'Loretta’s confirmation ensures that we are better positioned to keep our communities safe, keep our nation secure, and ensure that every American experiences justice under the law.' Ten . Republicans voted for Lynch, including Senate Majority Leader . Mitch McConnell and expected presidential candidate Lindsey Graham, the senior senator from South Carolina. Florida's Marco Rubio did not vote in her favor. Cruz tried to block Lynch from clearing a procedural hurdle earlier in the day, giving an impassioned speech on the chamber floor urging his colleagues to oppose her nomination, but was missing when the final tally was taken. 'The Republican majority, if it so chose, could defeat this nomination,' the 2016 Oval Office candidate said said during the debate on whether to take a formal vote on her nomination. 'I would note there are a few voters back home that are asking what exactly is the difference between a Democratic and Republican majority,' he charged. It was not immediately clear why the senator - who had not been shy about his intentions to vote against Lynch - was absent from the floor during the formal vote and a spokeswoman for his 2016 campaign simply told Daily Mail Online that he had a prior commitment in Texas. Like a representative from his Senate office noted on Twitter, the spokeswoman, Catherine Frazier, said he voted no on cloture, and that's the only one 'that mattered.' 'As you know Sen. Cruz led the charge to oppose her nomination at every turn for the last several months,' she added. Minutes later the Cruz for President invitation began circulating online. The  VIP portion of the event starts at 6 pm central, meaning Cruz needed to leave the East Coast to by mid-afternoon arrive at the party on time. Hicks, who is currently in the process of selling his estate, on the market for $98 million as of last month, is a neighbor of former U.S. President George W. Bush, also a Republican and a former co-owner of the Rangers. MISSING: Ted Cruz was not present for today's final vote on Lynch. He was the only member of the Senate who was absent. A copy of a Cruz for President invitation that later began flying around Twitter indicates the Texas senator skipped town early to make a fundraiser at the home of former Texas Rangers owner and billionaire Tom Hicks . The voting margin reflected many Republicans' disapproval of . Lynch's support for an executive order issued by Obama in . November that was meant to shield millions of undocumented . immigrants from the threat of deportation. Before the vote, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, an . outspoken critic of that action, blasted Lynch. 'We do not have to confirm someone to the highest law . enforcement position in America if that someone is publicly . committed to denigrating Congress, violating law,' he said. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid berated Republicans for . delaying the confirmation and said Lynch was 'as qualified a . candidate' as he'd seen in almost 30 years in the Senate. Lynch has awaited confirmation since November when Obama, a . fellow Harvard Law School graduate, nominated her. After winning November's midterm elections, Republicans asked the Democratic-led Senate not to shove a vote on Lynch down their throats. In a show of good faith, Democrats acquiesced and let the clock run out on their leadership in the Senate. Her nomination was backed by the Senate's Judiciary Committee by a vote of 12-8 on Feb. 26. But her confirmation languished over an impasse in the Republican-led Senate on an unrelated bill meant to protect human trafficking victims. Democrats had balked at an anti-abortion provision included in that bill, and Senate Majority Leader McConnell put a hold on all business until that issue was resolved. A bipartisan agreement was reached earlier this week, and as a result the process to consider Lynch was allowed to move forward. Hicks is currently in the process of selling his estate, on the market for $98 million as of last month. He is a neighbor of former U.S. President George W. Bush, also a Republican and a former co-owner of the Rangers . MYSTERY SOLVED: Minutes after a spokesperson for Cruz told Daily Mail Online that the senator had a prior commitment in Texas that caused him to miss the vote, this Cruz for President invitation began circulating online. The VIP portion of the event begins at 6pm central, meaning Cruz needed to leave the East Coast to by mid-afternoon arrive at the party on time . Despite the delay, she was widely seen as less controversial . than Holder, who often clashed with Republicans. She has said . she aims to smooth relations with Congress. As attorney general, her earliest tests will likely include . handling civil rights cases stemming from deadly altercations . between police and unarmed black men in several U.S. cities. The . Justice Department has said it will look into bringing civil . rights charges over the death of a Baltimore man who died after . sustaining a spinal cord injury while in police custody. Lynch will also inherit major financial cases involving . allegations that some of the world's largest banks helped . clients evade U.S. taxes and manipulated the currency markets. An accomplished career prosecutor, Lynch has twice served as . U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, New York, most recently since 2010. Her office there handled more terrorism prosecutions than most . other offices in the United States. For two years, she also led . a committee that advised the attorney general on policy. At a Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 28, Lynch said that . her top priorities would include fighting terrorist threats and . cyber crime, and improving relations between law enforcement and . minority communities.
She is expected to take over as head of the U.S. Justice Department on Monday, replacing Eric Holder .
'Loretta’s confirmation ensures that we are better positioned to keep our communities safe, keep our nation secure, and ensure that every American experiences justice under the law,' said the president .
Lynch, 55, was approved by a 56-43 vote; ten Republicans voted for Lynch, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio did not; Ted Cruz tried to stop her nomination from moving forward and was missing during the final vote .
An invitation flying around Twitter shows Cruz has a fundraiser tonight at former Texas Rangers' owner and billionaire Tom Hicks' Dallas home .