Attorney General Loretta Lynch is returning to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for just the second time since her confirmation earlier this year.
In January, Lynch wowed lawmakers with her poise during two marathon confirmation hearings in the Senate. http://bit.ly/1MY7ayu The upcoming hearing could be much more heated, with House Republicans expected to take up a number of issues with the Obama administration. http://1.usa.gov/1PGQVra
{mosads}It will be the first time the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Justice Department, will have an opportunity to hear directly from Lynch.
“We will seek information about the disturbing politicization of the Justice Department under the Obama administration,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said in a statement.
Topping the agenda will be criminal justice reform — the nation’s top law enforcement official can expect to be pressed on the administration’s plan to release 6,000 inmates from federal prisons between Oct. 30 and Nov. 2.
It’s slated to be the largest one-time release of federal prisoners, and is intended to cut down on overcrowding. The move comes amid a growing bipartisan push to reduce the sentences of nonviolent drug offenders.
Meanwhile, House lawmakers have a bipartisan deal on criminal justice reform they plan to discuss with Lynch. http://bit.ly/1R1ljtL
Her hearing also comes after a Senate panel approved its own criminal justice reform bill. The upper chamber’s No. 2 Republican, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said it could see floor time by early next year. http://bit.ly/1S1bCfX
Lynch can also expect a grilling on a number of contentious political issues, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into Hillary Clinton’s private email server during her time as secretary of State.
FBI Director James Comey declined to comment about the matter on Thursday when he appeared before the committee.
And Lynch will face pressure to investigate Planned Parenthood over the group’s handling of fetal tissue. House Republicans are also launching a special committee on the group following a number of viral videos.
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, on Tuesday, the House Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Nutrition will hold a hearing to discuss the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the food stamp program. http://1.usa.gov/1i10WAP
Also on Tuesday, an Energy and Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on the effect new net neutrality regulations are having on broadband investment. http://1.usa.gov/1MfvYTR
That same day across the Capitol, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources will hold a hearing on the Stream Protection Rule. http://1.usa.gov/1jExJ0k
On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for the Federal Communications Commission’s Jessica Rosenworcel, who has been nominated for a second five-year term. http://1.usa.gov/1OWKuyI
The House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on the Environment will hold a hearing Thursday to examine the costs and challenges of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Power Plan. http://1.usa.gov/1OWuih0
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