Loretta Lynch Nominated As U.S. Attorney General, Makes History
Loretta Lynch was officially nominated by President Barack Obama on Saturday to become the next U.S. attorney general.
For his speech, President Obama was joined by both Loretta Lynch and the outgoing U.S. attorney general, Eric Holder.
During the speech, CNN Politics reports that Obama credited the two-time U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York as being “tough, fair and independent.”
“It’s pretty hard to be more qualified for this job than Loretta Lynch. I can think of no better public servant to be our next attorney general.”
President Obama also expressed his hope that the Senate would not delay in confirming his nomination of Loretta Lynch to this position, especially since they did not delay to confirm her position as federal prosecutor twice before in the past.
If her nomination is confirmed and approved by Senate, Loretta Lynch will make history by becoming the first African-American woman to serve in this position.
In the beginning of her speech, Loretta Lynch expressed her honest feelings about the Department of Justice and how she will be humbled by her new position.
“The Department of Justice is the only Cabinet department named for an ideal and this is actually appropriate because our work is both aspirational and grounded in gritted reality. It is both ennobling and… profoundly challenging. Today, I stand before you so thrilled and, frankly, so humbled to lead this group of wonderful people who work all day and well into the night to make that ideal a manifest reality — all as part of their steadfast protection of the citizens of this country.”
Loretta Lynch then continued her speech by expressing her gratitude for President Obama and the citizens of the United States with a heartfelt promise.
“Mr. President, thank you again for the faith that you’ve placed in me. I pledge today to you and to the American people that if I have the honor of being confirmed by the Senate, I will wake up every morning with the protection of the American people my first thought. And 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 has worked as a popular prosecutor since she was first appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn from 1999 to 2001 and then by President Obama in 2010. If the Senate approves President Obama’s nomination, a formal announcement will then be made from the White House about Loretta Lynch becoming the new U.S. attorney general.
[Image Credit: Wall Street Journal]
