Senate Confirms Loretta Lynch as Attorney General After Long Delay

New York Times

By Jennifer Steinhauer

April 23, 2015

After one of the nation’s most protracted cabinet-level confirmation delays, the Senate Thursday approved Loretta E. Lynch to be attorney general. She is the first African-American woman to hold the position.

Ms. Lynch, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, was confirmed 56 to 43, with 10 Republicans voting for her.

Her confirmation took longer than that for all but two other nominees for the office: Edwin Meese III, who was nominated by President Ronald Reagan, and A. Mitchell Palmer, who was picked by President Woodrow Wilson, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Republicans have found themselves in a quandary for months. They longed to replace Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., and they agreed that Ms. Lynch was qualified for the job. But they opposed her because Ms. Lynch defended President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

What’s more, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and majority leader, had held up the nomination until the Senate voted on a human trafficking bill, a process that dragged on for weeks. The measure passed on Wednesday by a vote of 99 to 0.

And some Republicans continued to strongly oppose Ms. Lynch. “We do not have to confirm someone to the highest law enforcement position in America if that someone has committed to denigrating Congress,” Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican of Alabama, said on the Senate floor Thursday. “We don’t need to be apologetic about it, colleagues.”

In the end several Republicans — to the surprise of many of their own colleagues — voted aye for Ms. Lynch, including Mr. McConnell.

Some conservative groups had called on Senate Republicans to block a vote on Ms. Lynch altogether because of her stance on the president’s immigration policies. Many Senate Republicans feared the party would face serious political repercussions if it blocked an African-American woman with strong credentials and enthusiastic support from many in law enforcement.

Opponents still forced a procedural vote before her final confirmation, an unusual requirement for such a high position. The nomination moved along easily, by a vote of 66 to 34.

“She is a historic nominee, but also Senate Republicans are making history,” said Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont. “And I would say for the wrong reasons.” He added: “I can only hope that Senate Republicans will show her more respect as the attorney general of the United States than they did as a nominee. She has earned this respect. Her story is one of perseverance, of grace and grit.”

The vote also served as a lens on the 2016 elections. “The Republican majority if it so chose could defeat this confirmation,” said Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican presidential candidate, who called Ms. Lynch “lawless.”

Mr. Cruz, who made his remarks on the floor in the morning, was present to vote against the procedural motion to move the vote forward. But he missed the confirmation vote a few hours later, because, his spokeswoman said, he had left for Texas, where he had a fund-raiser.

Mr. Cruz’s comments were immediately answered by several Democrats, who came to the floor to defend Ms. Lynch, recall her personal and professional accomplishments, and assail Mr. Cruz and his colleagues who opposed her.

“This should be a happy day for America,” said Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat Missouri. She said Republicans opposed Ms. Lynch merely because “she agrees with the man who selected her,” a posture Ms. McCaskill called “beyond depressing — it’s disgusting.”

Senator Kelly Ayotte, a New Hampshire Republican who faces re-election next year, was among those in her party who voted for Ms. Lynch. “Ms. Lynch is a well-respected U.S. attorney with a proven record and significant experience handling difficult cases,” Ms. Ayotte said in a prepared statement. “After meeting with her and reviewing her qualifications, I believe she is clearly qualified and has the necessary experience to serve as Attorney General.”

Another Republican running for re-election, Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, also gave Ms. Lynch a thumbs-up.

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