Loretta Lynch’s AG nomination has been pending on the floor longer than the last 7 nominees combined. Here’s who’s speaking out about it.
On November 8, 2014, President Obama announced the nomination of Loretta Lynch to succeed Eric H. Holder, Jr. as U.S. Attorney General. As of Monday, March 23, that nomination has been pending on the Senate floor longer than the previous seven AG nominees combined.
Obama used his weekly address on March 21 to urge Senate Republicans to stop denying Lynch a vote.
In the week leading up to Obama’s latest push, a lot of people called for a vote.
Given the many racial justice issues facing the nation, African-American leaders — including Congressional Black Caucus Chair G.K. Butterfield, Rep. Marcia Fudge, Dr. Paulette C. Walker, national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference — on Tuesday called for an immediate vote.
Butterfield called the delay a “travesty,” and said “I think race certainly can be considered as a major factor and the reason for this delay.” Ifill noted that, “All across the country women are watching, African-African American women are watching, and the civil rights community is watching.”
The same day, the N.C. NAACP brought about 50 women from North Carolina to ask their Senators — Richard Burr and Thom Tillis — why they were voting against Lynch, who would be the first AG from the state.
“Today, we had a thoughtful, thorough conversation with the NC NAACP, during which we discussed United States Attorney Loretta Lynch’s nomination to be Attorney General. While we remain concerned with Ms. Lynch’s stated desire to lead the Department of Justice in the same manner as Eric Holder and will not be supporting her nomination, we are grateful that the group came to Washington to talk about this issue and exchange ideas.”
After the meeting, the Rev. Michelle Laws, executive director of the North Carolina NAACP, called their responses “juvenile.”
On Wednesday, Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Patty Murray joined leaders from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Organization for Women, National Women’s Law Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, and MomsRising to call for Lynch’s confirmation.
Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, said that “Mitch McConnell needs to stop playing politics with women’s health care, and with women’s advancement in this country.”
The same day, all 16 House Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to McConnell, requesting that he bring Lynch up before the upcoming congressional recess.
On Thursday, a group of House Democrats led by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas underscored their support for confirming Lynch as well.
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer participated, noting that “One hundred and thirty-one days and counting is where we are for Loretta Lynch, all because Senate Republicans want to hold hostage, once again, an issue with bipartisan support — the confirmation of the Attorney General, which is necessary to give stable leadership to the Justice Department.”
Top law enforcement officials held a press call on Friday to throw their support behind Lynch’s confirmation and to highlight her experience as a prosecutor. Among her supporters on the call were former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani and former FBI director Louis Freeh.
Freeh said that “Her reputation in the law enforcement community is just stellar.”
Also on Friday, a group of 59 House Democrats sent a letter to McConnell, which included every member of the Congressional Black Caucus and New York Congressional Delegation.
Editorials were published — in Lynch’s favor.
The New York Times editorial board noted that “This is not the way for Republicans to reassure the country of their ability to govern now that they control both houses of Congress. Instead, they could start by ending the delay on what should be a straightforward floor vote and do the job Americans elected them to do.”
The New York Daily News editors said, “End the ugliness. End the charade. Give Lynch a vote. If Republicans are too blinded to confirm an exemplary nominee, let them at least have the gall to put votes on the record.”
“McConnell should end his obstructionism.”
-Los Angeles Times editorial board








