U.S. Senate Leaders Reach Deal For Vote On Loretta Lynch For Attorney General
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) -- U.S. Senate leaders on Tuesday said they have reached a deal to vote on Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch as President Barack Obama's pick for attorney general.
Republicans had held up the confirmation vote on Lynch's nomination for five months, until a dispute over human trafficking legislation was resolved.
The bill had been stalled over abortion funding.
Last week, Obama said it was "embarrassing" the way Republican senators delayed Lynch's confirmation for what he called "political gamesmanship."
Obama said nearly all Republicans agreed that Loretta Lynch is qualified to be the nation's top law officer. Yet he says the five months she's been waiting is longer than the previous seven attorney general nominees combined. Obama calls that "a crazy situation."
Lynch would succeed Eric Holder if confirmed. She would be the first African-American woman to be attorney general.
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