Los Angeles Times
By Richard Serrano
March 15, 2015
The
top Republican in the Senate said Sunday he will delay a vote on
President Obama’s choice for attorney general until the Senate resolves
an unrelated dispute over
abortion.
The
nomination of Loretta Lynch, currently the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn,
has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee and was tentatively slated
for a vote this week after
languishing for more than four months.
But
the delay now seems likely to continue. In an interview on CNN's "State
of the Union," Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he would
not bring the nomination
to the Senate floor until the chamber passes a bill to assist victims
of human trafficking. Democrats oppose that bill because it includes a
controversial provision on abortion.
“I had hoped to turn to her next week. But if we can't finish the trafficking bill, she will be put off again,” McConnell said.
Obama
nominated Lynch in early November, and she has drawn mostly favorable
reviews. Her nomination, however, has stalled because of a series of
other disputes. Initially,
several Republicans held up the nomination to signal opposition to
Obama's immigration policies. Now the abortion fight threatens to delay
the confirmation further.
The
human trafficking bill would set up a special fund to assist victims.
Both parties support that proposal. But Republicans put language in the
bill barring victims
from using any of the money for abortions. Democrats voted for the
trafficking bill three months ago in the Judiciary Committee, but later
noticed the abortion provision and now want it removed.
McConnell acknowledged that the impasse “will have an impact on the timing of considering the new attorney general.”
Senate
Democrats said it was wrong to hold up Lynch. The third-ranking
Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, called for Republicans to
"stop dragging their feet" on
the nomination.
"For
months and months, Republicans have failed to move forward with her
nomination using any excuse they can, except for any credible objection
to her nomination itself,"
Schumer said in a statement. "Loretta Lynch, and the American people,
don't deserve this. At a time when terrorists from ISIS to Al-Shabaab
threaten the United States, the nominee to be attorney general deserves
an up or down vote."
Several
Republicans have said they will vote for Lynch once the nomination
comes to the floor -- enough for her to be confirmed, although passage
might require Vice President
Joe Biden to cast a tie-breaking vote. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder has said
he will continue in the job until his successor is confirmed.
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