Martha Roby: Jeff Sessions is the right pick for Attorney General

Alabama got the news many were anxiously anticipating late last week when President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate our own Senator Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General of the United States.

There is no one more capable and qualified to serve our country as Attorney General than Senator Jeff Sessions. While he is mostly known for his conservative record in the Senate, Senator Sessions also brings significant prosecutorial experience to the job. He served as a United States Attorney in the Southern District of Alabama for 12 years and was Attorney General of Alabama before being elected to the Senate. President-elect Trump has selected a leader with remarkable depth of knowledge and experience who cares deeply about Americans and will fight for what’s right.

I’m very proud for Senator Sessions on this achievement. He’s been a kind mentor to me, and I have valued his guidance and leadership over my six years in Congress. Senator Sessions has been a dedicated fighter for the conservative cause for many years now, and no one deserves this honor more. I do hate that we will lose him in the Legislative Branch, but I’m confident that this new role will enhance his ability to change our nation’s course for the better.

Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, critics started attacking Senator Sessions’ record and character even before his nomination was confirmed. These attacks are unfair and without merit. It’s really a shame that anyone would attempt to tarnish the name of such a good man.

We’ve seen these attacks before. Washington liberals kept Senator Sessions from an appointment to the federal bench during the Reagan Administration using these same tactics.

I’m reminded of former Senator Arlen Spector who said that in all his years of service the vote he regretted most was the one he cast not to confirm Jeff Sessions for the bench. He said that because he came to know Jeff Sessions and understand his character.

I’m also reminded of how Senator Sessions made it a point to be in Selma for the 50th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” joining arms with Rep. John Lewis and other leaders to cross the Edmund-Pettus Bridge. That was an important day for Alabama, and he knew how meaningful his presence and participation were.

I doubt many of his critics know him or have even met him. I do know Jeff Sessions, and I know him to be a man of the highest character and integrity. He probably has a better understanding of the rule of law than anyone in elected office. He’s going to make a tremendous Attorney General, and I believe that in time his critics will be proven wrong.

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Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.