[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3326]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            LYNCH NOMINATION

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, today, in that same spirit, I urge all 
Senators to come together to confirm Loretta Lynch to be our next 
Attorney General and the first African-American woman ever to hold this 
position. The delay of her confirmation is unprecedented and 
unwarranted. It should end.
  It has been 121 days since President Obama announced his intention to 
nominate Ms. Lynch. Her nomination was reported by the Judiciary 
Committee on a bipartisan basis 11 days ago. In the last 30 years, no 
Attorney General nominee has waited longer than Loretta Lynch to 
receive a floor vote after being reported from committee.
  I think of what we did when President Bush was in the last 2 years of 
his Presidency. Democrats had just taken back the majority in the 
Senate. He nominated a person for Attorney General--actually a person I 
voted against--but I moved that person forward anyway because I felt 
the President of the United States deserved to have an Attorney 
General. I moved that person through in half the time we have had to 
wait for Loretta Lynch.
  Ms. Lynch has broad support from Democrats and Republicans across the 
legal and law enforcement communities. So there is no excuse. She 
shouldn't be treated differently than previous nominees. Actually, she 
should receive a vote tonight, along with the other nominees who are to 
be confirmed. She should not be treated any differently than President 
Bush's nominee.
  So in the wake of the bipartisan and inspirational celebration in 
Selma, let us come together to honor the difficult work of the Justice 
Department. Let's schedule a vote to confirm the first African-American 
woman to serve as Attorney General of the United States. Let us show 
the American people what we can do when we come together. Let us 
finally vote to confirm Loretta Lynch.
  I see the majority leader on the floor. I don't want to take his 
time.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

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