Jeff Sessions makes his case against Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch

Jeff Sessions makes his case against Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch

Yesterday the White House accused Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell of playing politics with the confirmation of Obama’s appointment of Loretta Lynch to be the next attorney general and called the delay in approving Lynch “unconscionable.”

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest praised Lynch as “someone who has distinguished herself as a tough and independent lawyer,” adding, “There’s no single legitimate question that has been raised about her aptitude for this job. Instead what we’ve seen is a bunch of political obstructionism.”

But Lynch’s confirmation may face other opposition from the right. Yesterday Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions urged his colleagues not to confirm Lynch at all, because she has signaled she supports his executive action on immigration. Said Sessions on the Senate floor:

I couldn’t vote to confirm any candidate who supports executive amnesty. The attorney general is a top law enforcement officer in this country — the senior person — and anyone who occupies that office must have fidelity to the laws of the United States duly passed, and to the Constitution of the United States.

During her confirmation hearings, Lynch said she has read the Department of Justice’s legal opinion on Obama’s executive action and concluded the action was lawful. And asked by Sessions whether an illegal immigrant has more right to a job in this country than a lawful citizen or green-card holder, Lynch said:

I believe that the right and the obligation to work is one that’s shared by everyone in this country, regardless of how they came here. If someone is here — regardless of status — I would prefer that they would be participating in the workplace than not participating in the workplace.

The president’s action is not lawful, Sessions argued Monday, and therefore the Congress has a duty to use its power not to confirm Lynch, who supports his order. “I don’t know what this is,” Sessions said. “But it’s so far from law that I don’t know how to express my concern about it effectively.”

“The Senate cannot confirm an individual … who would support a scheme that violates our Constitution, eviscerates congressional authority,” he added.

Lynch has been waiting unusually long for a confirmation vote — more than two weeks — and barely has the votes needed for confirmation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday he will continue delaying the vote until the Senate passes an anti-human trafficking bill, which Democrats are holding up over standard abortion language.

This report, by Rachel Stoltzfoos, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

LU Staff

LU Staff

Promoting and defending liberty, as defined by the nation’s founders, requires both facts and philosophical thought, transcending all elements of our culture, from partisan politics to social issues, the workings of government, and entertainment and off-duty interests. Liberty Unyielding is committed to bringing together voices that will fuel the flame of liberty, with a dialogue that is lively and informative.

Comments

For your convenience, you may leave commments below using Disqus. If Disqus is not appearing for you, please disable AdBlock to leave a comment.