Watch Senator Gillibrand Introduce Loretta Lynch Before the Committee Here
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced Loretta Lynch during the Senate Judiciary Committee U.S. Attorney General confirmation hearing. Below are the Senator’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member Leahy. I am honored to be here today with Senator Schumer to introduce United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Loretta Lynch, as President Obama’s nominee to serve as the next Attorney General of the United States.
“To serve as United States Attorney General requires deep experience in the field of law. It also requires brilliant intellect, and it requires a steady moral compass.
“I met with Ms. Lynch two months ago, and I can tell you that she meets all of these criteria. She is strong and fearless, she is one of our country’s most accomplished and distinguished women serving in law enforcement, and I urge my colleagues to support her nomination. There is no doubt that she is an outstanding candidate for this job.
“Ms. Lynch began her service at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in 1990, where she rose quickly to serve as Chief of the Long Island Office, and then Deputy Chief of General Crimes, and Chief of Intake and Arraignments.
“For 15 years, she has been a prosecutor in the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and since 2010, she has served admirably as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. In that position, she has demonstrated a superior sense of judgment and remarkable legal expertise.
“Ms. Lynch has dealt with an impressive array of cases, on subjects ranging from civil rights, to organized crime, to terrorism. These are issues that our new Attorney General will have to engage with constantly, from day-one of her tenure.
“Ms. Lynch’s experiences as a federal prosecutor in New York will undoubtedly serve her exceptionally well in Washington. She is extraordinarily well qualified, and I believe she deserves a swift confirmation process from the Senate, to become our nation’s first African American female Attorney General.
“Thank you.”