RBP
11-08-2014, 06:37 AM
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama will announce on Saturday he intends to nominate Loretta Lynch, the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, N.Y., as the next attorney general, the White House said late Friday.
Ms. Lynch, 55 years old, will be nominated to succeed departing Attorney General Eric Holder.
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In tapping Ms. Lynch—someone without close ties to the White House and who has prosecuted both Democrats and Republicans in her current job—the administration is turning to someone they believe could pass muster with the new Republican-controlled Senate, according to people familiar with the discussions.
“Ms. Lynch is a strong, independent prosecutor who has twice led one of the most important U.S. attorney’s offices in the country,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Ms. Lynch rose to the top of the White House list to succeed Mr. Holder after she met with Mr. Obama, who was impressed by their discussion, according to people familiar with the matter.
If confirmed, Ms. Lynch will inherit many of the same thorny issues Mr. Holder has wrestled with, including assertions of broad executive authority to conduct military strikes on terror targets, use of lethal drones against U.S. citizens overseas suspected of terrorism, and gathering Americans’ communications records.
Ms. Lynch is something of an unconventional choice. U.S. attorneys are almost never chosen for the top job, because if they become attorney general, they vault over several rungs of Justice Department leaders who are currently their superiors. She is known to eschew turf battles with colleagues and has a good relationship with her bosses in Washington, including Mr. Holder, according to those who know her.
If nominated and confirmed, Ms. Lynch would be the first black woman to hold the job of the nation’s top law-enforcement official.
When Mr. Holder announced his plan to resign, Ms. Lynch was considered a potential candidate, but not at the top of the list of choices, said people close to the discussions. They said that, over the course of the selection process, White House officials came to focus on her, as well as Solicitor General Donald Verrilli and Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
Republicans have been sharply critical of Mr. Holder, who became a lightning rod for his handling of terrorism, civil rights, Wall Street investigations and other issues. On Friday, several top Republicans suggested they were open to confirming Ms. Lynch.
Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa), a vocal critic of Mr. Holder and the Republican set to take over the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee in January, said Ms. Lynch would go through a “very fair, but thorough” vetting process.
“U.S. Attorneys are rarely elevated directly to this position, so I look forward to learning more about her, how she will interact with Congress, and how she proposes to lead the department,” he said through a spokeswoman. “I’m hopeful that her tenure, if confirmed, will restore confidence in the Attorney General as a politically independent voice for the American people.”
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) said “a full and fair confirmation process is always essential, and its importance has only increased in light of the troubling abuses under the current Attorney General. I look forward to hearing Ms. Lynch’s plans for restoring trust in the Department of Justice.”
Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.), who lives near Ms. Lynch in Brooklyn said she has “a first-rate legal mind and is committed in her bones to the equal application of justice for all people.”
The exact timing of Ms. Lynch’s confirmation hearing hasn’t yet been decided. Republicans said that Ms. Lynch should be voted on by the new Congress next year—when they will be in control of the Senate.
“Ms. Lynch will receive fair consideration by the Senate,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), who is expected to become Senate majority leader. “And her nomination should be considered in the new Congress through regular order.”
The White House said it wants Ms. Lynch confirmed quickly but didn’t appear to be pushing for a confirmation during the lame-duck session. “We defer to the Senate leadership and Judiciary Committee, but believe she should be confirmed as soon as possible,” a White House official said.
Ms. Lynch, 55 years old, will be nominated to succeed departing Attorney General Eric Holder.
http://i.imgur.com/QpQUKbA.jpg?1
In tapping Ms. Lynch—someone without close ties to the White House and who has prosecuted both Democrats and Republicans in her current job—the administration is turning to someone they believe could pass muster with the new Republican-controlled Senate, according to people familiar with the discussions.
“Ms. Lynch is a strong, independent prosecutor who has twice led one of the most important U.S. attorney’s offices in the country,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Ms. Lynch rose to the top of the White House list to succeed Mr. Holder after she met with Mr. Obama, who was impressed by their discussion, according to people familiar with the matter.
If confirmed, Ms. Lynch will inherit many of the same thorny issues Mr. Holder has wrestled with, including assertions of broad executive authority to conduct military strikes on terror targets, use of lethal drones against U.S. citizens overseas suspected of terrorism, and gathering Americans’ communications records.
Ms. Lynch is something of an unconventional choice. U.S. attorneys are almost never chosen for the top job, because if they become attorney general, they vault over several rungs of Justice Department leaders who are currently their superiors. She is known to eschew turf battles with colleagues and has a good relationship with her bosses in Washington, including Mr. Holder, according to those who know her.
If nominated and confirmed, Ms. Lynch would be the first black woman to hold the job of the nation’s top law-enforcement official.
When Mr. Holder announced his plan to resign, Ms. Lynch was considered a potential candidate, but not at the top of the list of choices, said people close to the discussions. They said that, over the course of the selection process, White House officials came to focus on her, as well as Solicitor General Donald Verrilli and Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
Republicans have been sharply critical of Mr. Holder, who became a lightning rod for his handling of terrorism, civil rights, Wall Street investigations and other issues. On Friday, several top Republicans suggested they were open to confirming Ms. Lynch.
Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa), a vocal critic of Mr. Holder and the Republican set to take over the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee in January, said Ms. Lynch would go through a “very fair, but thorough” vetting process.
“U.S. Attorneys are rarely elevated directly to this position, so I look forward to learning more about her, how she will interact with Congress, and how she proposes to lead the department,” he said through a spokeswoman. “I’m hopeful that her tenure, if confirmed, will restore confidence in the Attorney General as a politically independent voice for the American people.”
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) said “a full and fair confirmation process is always essential, and its importance has only increased in light of the troubling abuses under the current Attorney General. I look forward to hearing Ms. Lynch’s plans for restoring trust in the Department of Justice.”
Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.), who lives near Ms. Lynch in Brooklyn said she has “a first-rate legal mind and is committed in her bones to the equal application of justice for all people.”
The exact timing of Ms. Lynch’s confirmation hearing hasn’t yet been decided. Republicans said that Ms. Lynch should be voted on by the new Congress next year—when they will be in control of the Senate.
“Ms. Lynch will receive fair consideration by the Senate,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), who is expected to become Senate majority leader. “And her nomination should be considered in the new Congress through regular order.”
The White House said it wants Ms. Lynch confirmed quickly but didn’t appear to be pushing for a confirmation during the lame-duck session. “We defer to the Senate leadership and Judiciary Committee, but believe she should be confirmed as soon as possible,” a White House official said.