Civil Rights advocate Peter Kirsanow strongly opposes the nomination of Loretta Lynch to replace Eric Holder as Barack Obama’s Attorney General.
Kirsanow, a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, detailed his opposition to Lynch in a formal letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on March 14. He writes:
Ms. Lynch’s response to Senator’s Session’s question suggests that she supports the implementation of DAPA enjoined by Judge Hanen. It is respectfully submitted that such support would be contrary to an Attorney General’s obligation to support and defend the Constitution (as opposed to the policy preferences of a president) and faithfully discharge the duties of the office, including enforcing the immigration laws written by Congress.
To countenance a usurpation by the executive branch of the legislative branch’s authority and support millions of people breaking the law should disqualify any nominee from being the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. Such support does profound and self-evident damage to the rule of law.
No less damaging to the rule of law would be Senate confirmation of an Attorney General nominee who has expressed support for unlawful actions. Such confirmation would be tantamount to ratification of the very actions enjoined by the State of Texas court.
Moreover, as stated in my letter of February 3, not only does support for amnesty/work permits for illegal aliens undermine the rule of law, it also causes significant and irreparable harm to American workers, particularly black workers (this harm was not raised by plaintiffs in State of Texas nor was it addressed by the court).1 This harm has been amply demonstrated in hearings before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
The Kirsanow letter is another signal to McConnell to oppose the nomination. He has already taken significant criticism, as reported by Breitbart News, for failing to lead any concerted effort against the nomination.
… despite backing Barack Obama’s executive power grab on amnesty — and her belief that illegal immigrants share the same “right and the obligation to work” in America as citizens, including veterans — Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch is poised to be confirmed thanks to the support of some Senate Republicans.
On Sunday McConnell said that he would hold off on a confirmation vote for Lynch as long as Democrats are delaying a human trafficking bill:
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says the Senate will not take up attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch’s confirmation until it completes work on a human trafficking bill that Democrats are holding up due to objections over abortion language in the legislation.
“We have to finish the human trafficking bill. The Loretta Lynch nomination comes next. And as soon as we finish the human trafficking bill, we will turn to the attorney general,” McConnell said Sunday on “State of the Union.”
McConnell had previously said that the Senate would take up the nomination this week, however complications with what was expected to be a bipartisan human trafficking bill, McConnell explained, have had an impact on timing.