[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4991-4992]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            LYNCH NOMINATION

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I cannot believe that Loretta Lynch still 
sits on this Executive Calendar of the Senate. It is put on our desk 
every day we are in session. She has been on that calendar for a longer 
period of time than any nominee for Attorney General in the last 30 
years.
  Senators can vote for or against Loretta Lynch to be Attorney 
General. That is their right. But an Attorney General nominee whose 
qualifications and character are unquestionable deserves better than 
the treatment she is receiving from this Senate. Ms. Lynch deserves a 
timely vote, just as other Attorney General nominees of other 
Presidents have received.
  She was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 26 
in a bipartisan vote. Nine Democrats and three Republicans voted for 
this Presidential nominee. She has now been pending on the Senate 
calendar right here for 48 days--48 days on this calendar. Not one word 
has been spoken on this floor in derogation of this fine woman, this 
fine nominee.
  The last seven Attorney General nominees combined--all seven of 
them--had to wait on the Senate floor for a total of 24 days--seven 
nominees, 24 days. For Loretta Lynch it is 48 days.
  The Senate has confirmed other nominees while the human trafficking 
bill has been pending on the floor. There is no procedural obstacle. 
While that bill has been pending, the Senate has voted on nominees for 
Assistant Secretary of Transportation, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, 
the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, and the Federal 
Retirement Thrift Investment Board. And on Monday we voted on a Federal 
judge. It is routine for the Senate to consider nominees on the 
Executive Calendar while still considering legislation.
  It has been 158 days--more than 5 months--since Ms. Lynch's 
nomination to be Attorney General was announced. A vote still has not 
been scheduled. This is far longer than any recent Attorney General 
nominee has had to wait. Janet Reno waited 29 days. John Ashcroft, a 
Republican nominee, waited 42 days. Alberto Gonzales, 86 days. Michael 
Mukasey, 53 days. Eric Holder, 64 days. But when it comes to Loretta 
Lynch, it is 158 days.
  The last Attorney General nominee whose nomination took this long to 
process was Edwin Meese in 1984, who faced questions and investigations 
relating to questions of ethics. There have been no such allegations--
none--that have been raised against Loretta Lynch.
  Senate Republicans have the capability to bring up nominations 
promptly. The majority leader, Senator McConnell of Kentucky, can walk 
to this floor and within a minute call her nomination, and it will be 
voted on immediately. It is in his power to do it. Why will he not do 
it? Why will he not give this woman, who has such an extraordinary life 
story, a chance to serve as the first African-American woman in the 
history of the United States to serve as Attorney General?
  There is no substantive reason--not one. I welcome any Republican 
Senator to come to the floor and make the case against Loretta Lynch. 
No one did it in committee. No one has done it on the floor. It is time 
for us to move forward and approve this nomination.

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