Another Republican opposes Loretta Lynch for attorney general
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, became the latest Republican to announce he would oppose the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as the next attorney general.
On a call with Texas reporters Wednesday afternoon, Cornyn conceded that Lynch has an "impressive record" as United States attorney. But, he said, "she will become the chief advocate for the president's policies as attorney general, and her testimony expressing support for the president's unconstitutional executive action, and for her support for a number of the president's other policies, make it impossible for me to vote for her nomination."
Lynch spent a large portion of her confirmation hearing last week -- which was as much a rehashing of Attorney General Eric Holder's tenure as it was an examination of her views -- facing questions from Republican senators designed to gauge whether she supports the president's recent move to defer deportation for up to five million illegal immigrants. Lynch said she has read the DOJ memo which said Mr. Obama was acting within the bounds of the law.
"I don't see any reason to doubt the reasonableness of those views," she said.
Cornyn is the third Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose Lynch's nomination. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, announced immediately after her hearing that he would not support her.
"At the outset of this nomination process, I said that no Senator should vote to confirm anyone for this position--the top law enforcement job in America--who supported the president's unlawful actions. Congress must defend its constitutional role, which is clearly threatened," Sessions said in a statement.
Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, also announced that he would oppose her, saying in a statement that Lynch "has established a clear anti-gun record" and that he "didn't get any clear answers" from her on whether law enforcement resources should be used to "attack the Second Amendment and target legal gun industries."
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is the only Republican to declare his support so far. Lynch will need two more Republicans and all Democrats to vote to confirm her in order to clear the Judiciary Committee.
"The Justice Department is in dire need of new leadership. For too long its decisions have been politicized and its leaders have facilitated executive abuses by this President rather than upholding the rule of law," Hatch said in a statement. "Throughout her confirmation hearing, Ms. Lynch has demonstrated her qualifications and made specific commitments to work with Congress."