Obama nominates Lynch for AG

By Sarah Ferris - 11/08/14 11:49 AM EST




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President Obama on Saturday nominated Loretta Lynch, a federal prosecutor in New York, to replace outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder.
“I could not be more confident that Loretta will bring her signature intelligence and passion and commitment to our key priorities,” Obama said in a rare weekend announcement at the White House.



If confirmed by the Senate, Lynch would become the first African American woman to lead the Justice Department.Standing beside Holder and Lynch in the Roosevelt Room, Obama touted his nominee’s 30 years of experience in law and said "it's pretty hard to be more qualified for this job than Loretta.”
“Loretta might be the lawyer in America who battles mobsters and drug lords and terrorists and still has the reputation for being a charming people person. That’s probably because Loretta doesn't look to make headlines, she looks to make a difference,” he added.
Lynch has prosecuted members of the Mafia, terrorists who plotted to bomb the New York City subway, and elected officials – including Rep. Michael G. Grimm (R-N.Y.) who recently won reelection to the House.
Unlike Holder, who held posts in D.C. before assuming the top justice role, Lynch is a Washington outsider who has spent more of her career in New York.
Her distance from Obama’s inner circle has set her apart from other candidates for the post, such as Solicitor General Donald Verrilli and Labor Secretary Tom Perez.
Lynch said she was “thrilled” to receive the president’s nomination.
“If I have the honor being confirmed by the Senate, I will wake up every morning with the protection of the American people my first thought,” Lynch said.
“I will work every day to safeguard our citizens, our liberties, our rights and this great nation, which has given so much to me and my family.”
Lynch, who had reportedly been Holder’s pick for his replacement, served under both Obama and former President Bill Clinton. She is a graduate of both Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
As the daughter of a school librarian and a baptist minister, Obama joked that “she knew when to be quiet.”
“That’s a little intimidating to be the daughter of a librarian and a minister,” he said to laughs in the crowd.
Obama said Saturday that he believed Lynch would easily be confirmed by the Senate.
The administration has until the end of the post-election lame-duck session to confirm a nominee via a party line vote. Otherwise, the GOP would have power to block his nomination.
Her qualifications have received praise from at least one Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told CNN on Friday that Lynch "seems to be a solid choice.”
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who is the committee’s top Republican, said Friday that Lynch would receive “a very fair, but thorough, vetting.”
“I’m hopeful that her tenure, if confirmed, will restore confidence in the attorney general as a politically independent voice for the American people,” Mr. Grassley wrote in a statement.
This post was updated at 12:30 p.m.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...torney-general