Loretta Lynch has been on the verge of making history as the first Black woman to hold the post of U.S. Attorney General – but her confirmation has been stalled by Senate Republicans for more than 160 days.
President Clinton appointed Lynch, 55, as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York in 1999, but she left to return to private practice in 2001. In 2010, President Obama appointed her for a second time.
On Nov. 8 the President nominated Lynch to succeed U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.A number of Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell,have been blocking the nomination. They insist on passing a delayed anti-human trafficking bill before a vote regarding Lynch takes place. Democrats have blocked the bill because of the language of an abortion-related provision.
