Jackson was unanimously approved by the Senate Banking Committee for the seat , and thereafter unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on December 21 , 2017 .
Jackson was unanimously approved by the Senate Banking Committee for the seat and then unanimously approved by the United States Senate on 21 December 2017 .

Are these two sentences paraphrases of each other?
Available options:
(a). no;
(b). yes;
(b).