Congresswoman Barbara Lee: “Call the Vote and Confirm Loretta Lynch”
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G.K. Butterfield and members of the CBC to urge Senate Leadership to bring Loretta Lynch’s nomination to a vote. Loretta Lynch has been waiting 164 days for a vote, longer than the wait for the last seven Attorneys General combined.
“President Obama was right in describing this delay as ‘embarrassing.’ Frankly, this hold-up is shameful,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “Loretta Lynch is extremely qualified and has won bipartisan support to serve as the next U.S. Attorney General. Sadly, the Senate’s Republican leadership continues to play political games with her nomination.”
Loretta Lynch would be the first African American women to hold the nation’s top law enforcement position. Before her nomination, she served with distinction as US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, a position to which she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
“Congress and our government should be working to address the critical criminal justice reform issues that face our nation. Holding up Loretta Lynch’s nomination to score political points is fundamentally wrong and ultimately futile,” added Congresswoman Lee. “The Senate can’t afford any more delays – it’s past time to call the vote.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus. She serves as chair of the Whip’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity.