Wednesday, February 01, 2017 - WASHINGTON – Following a thorough review and lengthy debate, the Senate Judiciary Committee today approved the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General of the United States. Sessions, a longtime member of the committee, took questions from his fellow senators for more than 10 hours in a marathon hearing and responded to more than 700 additional written questions prior to today’s vote in committee.
“Members of the Judiciary Committee, especially many of us who have served alongside Senator Sessions for many years, know that he is a man of integrity and a man who will uphold and enforce all laws equally. In more than 10 hours of testimony before this committee and in answers to more than 700 written follow-up questions, Senator Sessions pledged to be independent, fair and evenhanded, even with laws that he may have voted against as Senator.
“Following a lengthy and thorough review of Senator Sessions’ record, and after hearing directly from people who know him best, there should be no question that he is more than qualified to be the nation’s top law enforcement officer,” Grassley said.
Sessions was confirmed in the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 11-9. The full Senate must now act on the nomination. Confirmation requires a simple majority vote.
-30-
