WASHINGTON -- Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken both said this week they planned to support the confirmation of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch, who was grilled in front of the Judiciary Committee Wednesday.
Sens. Klobuchar, Franken question Justice nominee
Sens. Klobuchar, Franken question Justice nominee
January 28, 2015 at 10:12PM
Lynch was nominated last year by President Barack Obama to run the Justice Department after current AG Eric Holder announced he was stepping down. The Judiciary Committee, where both Franken and Klobuchar are members, is the first step towards Senate confirmation.
Klobuchar, who said she's met with Lynch a couple times privately, called her an "exceptional public servant" and noted she liked that they both share a background as prosecutors.
Klobuchar said she wants to ensure the Department of Justice continues its commitment to go after domestic extremists -- particularly in light of recent events in Minnesota. Last year, a federal grand jury probed a local terrorism pipeline to find the Minnesota Somali Americans who were allegedly conspiring to join forces fighting with the Islamic State abroad.
Franken, who has also met with Lynch privately, tried to cut her a break during a tense hearing Wednesday by asking whether she had a nice lunch.
"How was lunch?....You enjoyed lunch?" he said, a softball, amid the Republicans' questions about the president's immigration executive order.
In a statement issued after the hearing, Franken called Lynch qualified to lead the Justice Department.
"Her credentials are strong -- she has successfully prosecuted the toughest cases, from terrorism to public corrruption," he said.
Our mission this election cycle is to provide the facts and context you need. Here’s how we’ll do that.
