Advise, consent and confirm Loretta Lynch

Loretta Lynch, the president’s nominee to replace Eric Holder as the U.S. attorney general, is poised to become the first African-American woman to lead the Justice Department as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.

Lynch is a Harvard-educated lawyer with a reputation as a tough prosecutor. Her impeccable record includes the successful prosecutions of high-profile public corruption and civil rights cases, as well as assaults against public officials. Since 9/11, her office has been responsible for the conviction of individuals involved in plotting terrorist attacks against American citizens. Time and again, Lynch has demonstrated a commitment to keeping Americans safe. She has done her job effectively and without grandstanding. 

{mosads}It is time for the Senate to do the same.

The U.S. Constitution grants the Senate the power to provide “advice and consent” on presidential appointments. This role of the Senate in confirming presidential appointees is an important one. Historically, senators will question a nominee on his or her record and press important matters to determine if the nominee is qualified to advise the president. 

The Senate has determined, on two separate occasions, that Loretta Lynch was a prosecutor with impeccable character and expertise. She has been confirmed by the Senate twice as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, under then-President Clinton in 2000 and again under President Obama in 2010. During her most recent Senate confirmation hearing for attorney general, Lynch once again performed admirably. She endured hours of grueling questions concerning her legal record, immigration, limits to the president’s executive authority and a host of other legal issues she may encounter in the position.

Lynch has the necessary qualifications to be our nation’s next attorney general. From her stellar record as a federal prosecutor to her prestigious academic pedigree, her experiences have prepared her to enforce and uphold both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution at the highest level.

Shamefully, Senate Republicans continue to hold her confirmation hostage as they fight unrelated political battles. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) indicated there will not be a confirmation vote for Lynch until the Senate finishes its debate over an anti-human-trafficking bill, which has been slowed by a fight over an abortion provision in the bill. Yet again, Senate Republicans are using Lynch’s confirmation as political leverage. A few weeks ago, her confirmation vote was delayed because of Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

This is no way to govern. America has waited far too long for a new attorney general to be confirmed, and the time has come for the Senate to act. There has been no substantive criticism of Lynch’s qualifications. She has worked to earn the support of a majority in the Senate. In fact, the Senate Judiciary Committee has already voted to approve the nomination. Yet Republican leadership has refused to bring her nomination to the floor. 

It is time for the Senate to provide the “advice and consent” it is constitutionally empowered to give and confirm Loretta Lynch.

Johnson has represented Texas’s 30th Congressional District since 1993. She sits on the Science, Space and Technology and the Transportation committees.