Loretta Lynch vote: Democrat says race and gender ‘a factor’ in Senate delay

By Luis E. Gomez
Associate Editor Vol. 20; Contributing Editor Vol. 21
Democrats have questioned the Republican party’s motives for dragging out unnecessarily the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as attorney general. Some Democrats attribute the delay to race and gender. Lynch was selected by President Obama four months ago to replace sitting attorney general Eric Holder. If confirmed, Lynch would be the first African American woman to serve as attorney general. Last month, the Senate committee cleared Lynch’s nomination. And yet, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not brought the matter up for a vote, saying that he won’t move on the nomination until Democrats end their filibuster of a human trafficking bill over a provision containing anti-abortion language. The debate over her confirmation has intensified as of late, with speculation that some Republicans are opposing Lynch because of race. For more on this debate, read here.