After five months of delay, the U.S. Senate has confirmed Loretta Lynch to serve as attorney general. As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, the state’s Republican Senators were split on the nominee to lead the Justice Department.
Ten out of 54 Republican Senators voted for Lynch’s confirmation, which was held up because of a dispute over an unrelated sex-trafficking bill. Lynch is a New York City federal prosecutor who’s worked on terrorism, cybercrime and race-related cases.
In a statement, Arizona Senator Jeff Flake says he voted for Lynch despite disagreeing with her on many positions. He says a cabinet nominee should be confirmed unless something specifically disqualifies her.
However, Senator John McCain has been an outspoken opponent of Lynch becoming the nation’s top law enforcement official. As he told CNN in March, McCain takes issue with her support of President Obama’s immigration reforms.
“I will not vote for her because she has said she would uphold the president’s unconstitutional executive orders,” McCain said.
Lynch is expected to be sworn in next week and will replace Eric Holder. She will be the country’s first female African-American attorney general.
