WASHINGTON, D.C.–The new attorney general for the United States is Loretta Lynch, who was nominated by Pres. Obama, and who was confirmed Thursday by the U.S. Senate on a vote of 56-43. Mississippi’s senators were split on the vote.
The Senate is controlled by Republicans.
“I think she is qualified,” said Sen. Thad Cochran, in a statement released shortly after the vote. “In confirming Loretta Lynch, the Senate is placing great trust in her to impartially enforce the rule of law, more so than we’ve witnessed in the past seven years under the Obama administration.”
Cochran said he considered Lynch’s qualifications and her background carefully before making his decision to vote yes.
“The Attorney General, though part of an administration, must operate at a certain level of independence. The acute absence of that independence in the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, as demonstrated by Ms. Lynch’s predecessor, has understandably undermined public confidence in the Justice Department and in government.”
Sen. Roger Wicker said he voted no because he had a problem with Lynch’s stance on several issues.
“The responsibility of the Attorney General, as the nation’s top law enforcement officer, is to uphold, defend, and execute the laws of the United States. After careful consideration, I opposed Ms. Lynch’s nomination because of her support of the President’s numerous executive overreaches, particularly his extreme unilateral actions on immigration.”
Lynch is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. She replaces current A.G. Eric Holder.
