Attorney General Purgatory

The confirmation of Loretta Lynch to replace Eric Holder as Attorney General has stalled for the last few weeks, as senate republicans threatened to stall indefinitely in reaction to Democrats blocking a recent human trafficking bill. After Democrats accused Republicans of sneaking anti-abortion language into the bill, The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, authored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), had been stalled for the prior few weeks. The deadlock has led to Loretta Lynch remaining unconfirmed.

“We have to finish the human trafficking bill. The Loretta Lynch nomination comes next. And as soon as we finish the human trafficking bill, we will turn to the attorney general,” Majority leader McConnell said Sunday on “State of the Union.” While McConnel stated previously that the Senate would take up the nomination this week, intense partisan debate over the bill once expected to receive bipartisan support has changed the scenario. Loretta Lynch has currently waited for her nomination to reach the senate floor since January.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is publically supporting Loretta Lynch. Giuliani praised Lynch’s record as a U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York and says that President Obama deserves to have his pick of nominees. After so many deadlocks, many republican are siding with Mayor Giuliani’s stance. Loretta Lynch, who has a spotless, prestigious record, appears to be a victim of association with the unpopular Obama administration.