Obama Nominates Loretta Lynch for Attorney General

President Obama officially nominated Loretta Lynch for the position of Attorney General today, filling the position soon to be left vacant by Eric Holder. Lynch is currently the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and if nominated, she would be the first African American woman to hold the position of Attorney General. During a White House press conference, President Obama did his best to highlight the merits of his nomination, portraying Lynch as “tough, fair, and apolitical” (New York Times).

The only thing between Lynch and the presidential cabinet is the Senate, where Lynch will need to be confirmed by a simple majority.  During the White House press conference, President Obama expressed his hope that Lynch’s confirmation hearing would be held “without delay,” so as to allow the vetting process to proceed under the Democratic controlled lame-duck Senate.  Republicans, on the other hand, are demanding that the Senate delay the confirmation hearing until newly elected senators begin their terms in January and can vet Lynch more thoroughly.  In addition, Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are demanding that Lynch come out from behind her apolitical curtain and reveal her stance on the polarizing issue of immigration.  The two senators are pressing Lynch to make a statement on the legality of an executive action granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. 

It will be interesting to see how Lynch responds to this challenge.  Considering the fact that the President nominated Lynch for the position, it is highly unlikely that Lynch will respond by denouncing executive action on immigration as illegal or unconstitutional.  On the other hand, if Lynch backs the legality of unilateral action, she will lose many of the Reps in the Senate and risk her chances of being confirmed, especially if the confirmation hearing is delayed until after January when the Reps take control.  Whether the confirmation hearing occurs in the coming weeks or is delayed until January, Lynch’s stance on immigration is sure to be a hot topic of the hearing as Ted Cruz, a member of the Judiciary Committee, will be one of the main Senators grilling Lynch.