WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, issued the following statement on the occasion of today’s vote on the confirmation of Loretta Lynch to be Attorney General of the United States:
“With her background as a career prosecutor, Loretta Lynch is qualified to help turn the page on this disappointing chapter of the Department’s history. During her confirmation hearings, she committed to be independent of political pressures and help restore a cooperative relationship with Congress. Her record of honorable service gives no reason to doubt her integrity when considering these commitments. While Ms. Lynch expressed some legal views with which I strongly disagree, she should not be held to a different standard than previous nominees. I look forward to working with Ms. Lynch and will hold her accountable to the high standards incumbent upon the Attorney General.”
Senator Hatch, as a member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has participated in the confirmation of eleven previous Attorneys General, including seven Republicans and four Democrats.
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