Luther Strange officially announces he is running for Jeff Sessions’ seat
On Tuesday, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange made an official announcement confirming what he told The Weekly Standard just day before the Thanksgiving holiday — that he would run for Jeff Sessions‘ seat in the U.S. Senate should he be confirmed as the next U.S. Attorney General and vacate it. “Following speculation about my intentions and in response to numerous media inquiries, today I am officially announcing my intention to seek the Senate seat left open by Jeff Sessions’ nomination to be our nation’s next attorney general,” Strange announced in a statement. Strange also confirmed he filed the appropriate paperwork with federal election authorities last week, formalizing his intentions to run. “The voters will make the ultimate decision about who will represent them, and I look forward to making my case to the people of Alabama in the months to come as to why they can trust me to keep protecting and fighting for our conservative values,” Strange added. President-elect Donald Trump appointed Sessions to be the U.S. Attorney General. Now, Sessions awaits Senate confirmation of the cabinet-level post. Pending confirmation, Sessions will vacate his U.S. Senate position and Gov. Robert Bentley will be tasked with appointing his replacement. Many other Alabama politicians have expressed their desire for the seat, including U.S. Reps. Mo Brooks, Robert Aderholt and Bradley Byrne.
Democratic oppo file on Jeff Sessions leaked months ago, WikiLeaks says
Democrats’ strategy to stonewall Alabama Sen. Jeff Session’s appointment to Donald Trump’s cabinet has been laid out for months, according to emails published by whistleblower site WikiLeaks. In May, an email between two Democratic Party staffers outlined the party’s “top hits” for Trump’s potential VP picks, including Sessions and fellow Sens. Bob Corker and Joni Ernst. None of those three “tier 1” politicians ended up being Trump’s running mate, though Sessions’ has been picked for Attorney General by the incoming administration. The staffer warns that Sessions’ document “contains the N-word,” previewing one of the lines of attack the party has used against the 20-year Senate veteran during the lead up to his confirmation hearings. Attached to the email are two documents combining to 85 pages cataloging Sessions’ comments on everything from foreign policy and the proposed Muslim ban, to women and racism. The “top hits” are split up into sections detailing why Sessions is “bad for Latinos,” “bad for African-American,” and “bad for women,” among many other groups. Given the contents of the document, Sessions’ confirmation hearings can be expected to include questions about the constitutionality of some of Trump’s comments, whether Sessions’ will enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, and how he will treat states’ rights in regards to things such as marijuana legalization.
Alabama state rep. Phil Williams mulls introduction of sanctuary city penalty bill
With the election of Donald Trump, there’s no denying we’ve entered a new era of immigration politics. If the president-elect holds true to his campaign promises, gone are the days of looking the other way on lax immigration enforcement, and that includes not “rewarding” sanctuary cities — cities that have adopted a policy of protecting undocumented immigrants by not prosecuting them solely for violating federal immigration laws in the country in which they are now living illegally. During his campaign, Trump promised he’d strip such cities of their federal funding. “We will end the sanctuary cities that have caused so many needless deaths,” Trump declared in a speech outlining his immigration proposals in August. “No more funds!” And now Rainbow City-Republican, Alabama state rep Phil Williams is considering following Trump’s lead and introducing a bill in the Alabama Legislature that would deem any Alabama city or county that declares themselves a sanctuary city ineligible to receive any state funds. Williams first brought up the “America First” idea on Sunday night when he posted on Facebook querying his friends and constituents as to whether or not they thought it would be a good idea. Within the first hour, Williams 8:02 p.m. post had garnered over 50 responses, mostly positive. When Alabama Today asked whether or not he planned to move forward with his idea, Williams said yes. “There have already been some great FB feedback but I am moving forward,” Williams said. While there has yet to be any Alabama cities/counties that have declared themselves sanctuary cities, Williams sees this as an opportunity to lead where others are failing to lead and ultimately bring Americans together. “It’s not my style to attack problems that don’t exist at home,” Williams explained, “but I think folks should be rallied to support laws which will ultimately pull us all together. The regular session of the Alabama Legislature is scheduled to begin Feb.7, 2017, for now Williams can only pre-file the bill should he choose to proceed.
Robert Bentley sets special election for District 58 House seat
Governor Robert Bentley announced on Monday there will be a special election to fill the vacant District 58 seat in the Alabama House of Representatives. According to the special election timeline finalized Monday, if a primary election is needed for Jefferson County’s House District 58 seat, party members will cast their votes Tuesday,Feb. 28, 2017 and the General Election will follow on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, according to a news release from the governor’s office. If a primary runoff is needed, it will take place May 16, 2017 and the special general election will be Aug. 1, 2017. “This timeline gives candidates time to qualify, allows voters time to learn about candidates, and allows time for those who are unable to vote in-person to arrange to vote by absentee ballot,” Bentley said. “Representative Robinson is to be commended for his 18 years of dedication and service to the people of District 58.” Major party candidates will have to qualify with their respective parties byDec. 27, 2016 by 5:00 p.m.The two major political parties are to certify their qualified candidates to the Secretary of State by no later than 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016. Third-party and independent candidates have to file the necessary paperwork with the Alabama Secretary of State by February 28, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. The seat was previously held by Oliver Robinson, who served in House District 58 in Birmingham for the past 18 years. Last Wednesday, Robinson announced his immediate retirement in order to allow his daughter to take a position in the Governor’s office and avoid a conflict of interest.
Stopgap spending bill to be unveiled as Congress finishes up
Congress is quickening its pace toward adjourning late this week, marching toward a final vote on legislation boosting medical research and speeding drug approvals and readying a separate stopgap spending bill to prevent the government from shutting down this weekend. The temporary budget bill, scheduled to be unveiled Tuesday, would keep federal agencies functioning into next spring, giving the new Congress and the incoming Trump administration time to approve more than $1 trillion to fund federal agencies through the Sept. 30 end of the current government budget year. Current spending expires at midnight on Friday. Since the measure is the only absolute must-do bill before Congress adjourns, it’s likely to carry several add-ons, including flood relief, money for overseas military operations, and help for Flint, Mich., to fix its lead-tainted water system. Other possibilities include language to help speed a congressional waiver required next year to confirm retired Gen. James Mattis as secretary of defense and temporary help to maintain health benefits for retired members of the United Mine Workers. Lawmakers will again deny themselves a cost-of-living pay hike that’s fallen out of favor. The overall measure would keep the government running through April 28. The Senate, meanwhile, appears on track Tuesday to pass the $6.3 billion biomedical bill, which includes a $1.8 billion cancer research “moonshot” strongly supported by Vice President Joe Biden, whose son Beau died of the disease, as well as $1 billion over two years to prevent and treat abuse of opioids and other addictive drugs like heroin. The nearly 1,000-page package cleared the House overwhelmingly last week, with strong backing from President Barack Obama. It contains a long-overdue overhaul of federal mental health programs. Biden presided over the Senate during an 85-13 procedural tally on Monday and a final vote is expected Tuesday despite opposition from liberals like Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who complained that the bill would make it easier for politically well-connected pharmaceutical and medical device industries to win federal approval for their products while raising risks to consumers. Also Monday, negotiators wrapped up talks on a massive water projects bill that also contains a controversial package of provisions that wades into a complex, longstanding battle over allocating California’s water resources. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein brokered the accord, which, among other steps, aims to offer relief to farmers and farm communities suffering from the state’s longstanding drought. But California’s other Democratic senator, Barbara Boxer, ripped the accord, charging that it would harm drinking water quality and severely weaken the Endangered Species Act, threatening salmon and other species. Boxer is retiring and vowed to filibuster the legislation as her last major act in office. The stopgap spending measure is needed because of a deadlock between Republicans controlling Congress and the Obama administration over spending levels for the Pentagon and a number of other issues, including opposition from conservatives to advancing a huge “omnibus” spending package in the post-election lame-duck session. The incoming Trump administration and House GOP leaders are also hopeful of winning increases to the Pentagon budget for the ongoing fiscal year in the early months of calendar 2017. For now, the stopgap measure is serving as an engine to tow $170 million to help Flint, Michigan, repair its aging water system to prevent its water from being poisoned with lead. Other items include about $4 billion to help Louisiana and other states rebuild from floods and other natural disasters, and money to partially meet the Obama administration’s $11.6 billion request last month for war-related money. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Terri Sewell: A defining legacy of excellence worth protecting — the 187th Air National Guard Fighter Wing
Alabama is a state rich with tradition and legacies of excellence. Yet, one that stands out is the legacy of military excellence exhibited by the 187th Air National Guard Fighter Wing, located at Dannelly Field in Montgomery, Alabama. The 187th Air National Guard Fighter Wing has an unparalleled legacy of excellence worthy of praise and worth protecting for the future. Currently, the guard unit is a prime candidate to fly the new F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, known as the Joint Strike Fighter. The 187th currently flies the oldest F-16s in the U.S. Air Force’s inventory; however, it is among eighteen Air National Guard units competing for the coveted new aircraft. The Alabama delegation in Congress is unanimous and steadfast in our support of the 187th Air National Guard Fighter Wing winning this new assignment. Nothing helps us make the case more than the long history of outstanding military service that has been the proud legacy of the 187th The 187th Fighter Wing has a proven combat track record and an unparalleled military heritage. It is home to the 100th Fighter Squadron – the famed “Red Tails.” This squadron’s linage traces back to World War II and the renowned Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first black military pilots and support personnel. The 187th benefits from being a key strategic resource – only five miles from Maxwell Air Force Base, and twenty-five minutes flying time from Eglin, Tyndall, Hurlburt, and Moody Air Force Bases. This presents numerous opportunities for joint air-to-air and air-to-ground training. F-35 pilots of the 187th may also utilize the electronic ranges on Eglin AFB. This is all contingent, however, on the unit being outfitted with the new fighter jets. During my tenure in office, I have been and will continue to be a stalwart advocate for this vital national resource located in my district. As a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities that confront our nation. I am also keenly aware that the world we live in is filled with potential threats that are constantly developing and changing. We have to remain ever vigilant and be prepared to not only confront ongoing threats but those emerging as well. A major key to our success requires that we maintain air-superiority and provide effective air- cover for our men and women deployed in combat zones. This is the defining legacy of the 187th from World War II to today. Given its rich history and superior service to this nation, the 187th Air National Guard Fighter Wing stands poised and well-equipped to bring the next generation of air power to the Alabama Air National Guard. ••• Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) is beginning her fourth term representing Alabama’s 7th Congressional district. She is a member of the exclusive House Committee on Financial Services and the distinguished House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence where she serves as the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on the Department of Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture. Rep. Sewell is a Chief Deputy Whip and sits on the prestigious Steering and Policy Committee of the Democratic Caucus. She serves as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and is Vice Chair of Outreach for the New Democrat Coalition.
Barack Obama legacy: Handing Donald Trump a broad view of war powers
After eight years as a wartime president, Barack Obama is handing his successor an expansive interpretation of the commander in chief’s authority to wage war around the globe. And that reading has continued to grow even as Obama prepares to pass control to Donald Trump. In his final weeks in office, Obama has broadened the legal scope of the war on extremism, the White House confirmed Monday, as it acknowledged for the first that the administration now asserts it is legally justified to take on the extremist group al-Shabab in Somalia. The determination is based on an expanded application of a 9/11-era use of force authorization, a statute Obama has repeatedly leaned on to justify military operations. That rationale has raised concerns about how Trump might use Obama’s precedent to justify other overseas entanglements – without consulting Congress. The White House staunchly defends Obama’s use of military power, arguing in a detailed report Monday that all operations have been firmly grounded in domestic and international law. White House counsel Neil Eggleston called the report – the first of its kind – a demonstration of how Obama has ensured “that all U.S. national security operations are conducted within a legal and policy framework that is lawful, effective and consistent with our national interests and values.” Yet the report, which Obama said should be updated annually, also reveals how his administration has relied overwhelmingly on the 2001 authorization, which even Obama acknowledges is outdated. Though the law’s targets were al-Qaida and the Taliban, a clause in the bill includes “associated forces” of al-Qaida, in Afghanistan or beyond. That clause is now being used as a catch-all for military action in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Libya, the report shows, plus the basing of U.S. troops in other countries. As for al-Shabab, until recently, the U.S. determined only that its individual leaders were linked to al-Qaida, which limited targeting of those individuals. Now the broader group is included. Trump has promised a more muscular and militaristic approach to counterterrorism, occasionally using expletives to suggest he’d aggressively bomb ISIS militants, although he has been vague on details. Deborah Pearlstein, a former White House official and international law professor at Yeshiva University, said it’s likely the next administration will use Obama’s framework as its starting point. “By practice and long history, those opinions tend to stand,” she said. For Obama, the heavy reliance on 9/11-era authorities is a powerful illustration of how his campaign pledges to construct limits on the president’s war-making powers were confounded by difficulties of dealing with Congress and the pressures of rapidly evolving threats. Obama came into office aiming to reverse what he argued were the overreaches of his predecessor, George W. Bush. Obama had built a national name opposing the unpopular Iraq War and pledging safeguards to ensure mistakes in that conflict weren’t repeated. In the first days of his presidency, he signed executive orders prohibiting secret CIA “black site” prisons and ending harsh interrogation techniques considered by many to be torture. Yet Obama quickly discovered that imposing strict constraints made it harder to pursue his preferred approach to counterterrorism. Wary of major overseas entanglements, he turned increasingly to surgical, stealthy operations like drone strikes that have traditionally operated under a murky legal framework. In a nod to that approach, Obama planned to visit U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters Tuesday in Tampa, Florida, to pay tribute to special ops forces. Obama’s challenges were exacerbated by extremist groups whose attacks bear little resemblance to traditional state-versus-state warfare. Meanwhile, Congress displayed little appetite for politically controversial votes to authorize new uses of force. So even when Obama, in 2014, announced the U.S. would target ISIS with airstrikes, he said the 2001 law gave him authority because the group had grown out of al-Qaida. Months later, he asked Congress to pass a new war powers resolution to address ISIS more specifically and replace the outdated law. Congress never acted. Obama, unbowed, stuck by his legal argument that the 2001 version was still sufficient. Not everyone agrees. “If a president can’t convince Congress, as the proxy for the people, of the need to do this such that they will pass an authorization to do it, then we ought not to be using force abroad,” said Scott Roehm, vice president of the Washington-based Constitution Project. Obama did take other steps to try to strengthen the checks on a president’s military power. In 2013, he notably pulled back from impending U.S. airstrikes in Syria, and instead sought formal approval from Congress that never materialized. And under pressure from civil liberties advocates, he put in place tougher rules for drone strikes, aiming to limit civilian casualties. “It’s not a legacy that is gonna score a lot of political points. It’s imperfect,” Obama said in a recent interview with New York Magazine. But Americans will have a better idea “their president is going to have to be more accountable than he or she otherwise would have been.” Some of those details are outlined in the 61-page White House report, the most comprehensive explanation to date of the policies the Obama administration has applied for drone strikes, detention of terrorists and access by humanitarian groups like the International Committee of the Red Cross. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Rio2016, Election2016, PokemonGo top global Twitter trends
The Rio Olympics, the American presidential election and Pokemon Go were the top global trends on Twitter in 2016. The social media site says Rio2016 was the most tweeted-about topic around the world, followed by Election2016 and PokemonGo. Euro2016, Oscars, Brexit, Trump and BlackLivesMatter also made the top 10. A Spanish gamer known as elrubius originated the year’s most popular tweet: It reads “Limonada” (lemonade) and was retweeted more than 1.3 million times. One Direction’s Harry Styles had the second most-repeated post — quoting a Taylor Swift song — with more than 700,000 retweets. A postelection tweet from Hillary Clinton encouraging little girls to recognize their power and seize opportunities was the third most popular of the year with 634,560 retweets. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Supreme Court upholds broad power to curb insider trading
A unanimous Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the government in a legal clash over the nation’s insider trading laws, a victory for prosecutors seeking to curb corruption on Wall Street. The justices ruled that sharing corporate secrets with friends or relatives is illegal even if the insider providing the tip doesn’t receive anything of value in return. The ruling upheld the conviction of Bassam Yacoub Salman, an Illinois man convicted of making investments based on inside information he received from a member of his extended family. It also limited the impact of a 2014 ruling from the federal appeals court in Manhattan that had raised doubts about the scope of insider trading laws. Prosecutors have relied on a broad reading of the law to support aggressive anti-corruption efforts that have netted more than 80 arrests and 70 convictions for insider trading over several years. Writing for the court, Justice Samuel Alito rejected arguments that insider trading prosecutions should be limited to those who make secret profits from revealing confidential data. Government officials had argued that sharing corporate secrets with friends or family is just as damaging to the integrity of financial markets. Salman was prosecuted for earning more than $1.5 million in profits from trading on nonpublic information he received about future health care deals. The tip originated with Salman’s brother-in-law, Maher Kara, an investment banker at Citigroup Global Markets in New York. Maher Kara passed the tip on to his own brother, Michael Kara, who then gave it to Salman. Salman was aware that Maher Kara was the source. Kara pleaded guilty to conspiracy and securities fraud charges. Alito said a tipper violates the law by making a gift of confidential information to a trading relative. Kara disclosed confidential information as a gift to his brother with the expectation that his brother would trade on it. That was a breach of his duty of trust to Citigroup, Alito said, and that breach of duty continued when Salman received the information and traded on it. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Oil industry urges Donald Trump to approve Dakota Access pipeline
Industry leaders are urging President-elect Donald Trump to make approval of the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline a priority when he takes office next month, but a spokesman for Trump isn’t offering many clues about how the incoming president might act. Meanwhile, the leader of the Standing Rock Sioux is calling on pipeline opponents to leave a camp in southern North Dakota where they’ve been protesting for months, as dangerous winter weather sets in. Many are vowing to stay, however. Here’s a guide to the latest developments and key background about the protest: — THE TRUMP FACTOR Two industry groups are calling on Trump to pave the way for the pipeline’s completion when he enters the White House in January. The requests come after the Army declined to issue a permit for the $3.8 billion pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in southern North Dakota near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The American Petroleum Institute represents the U.S. oil and natural gas industry, and the MAIN Coalition is made up of agriculture, business and labor entities that benefit from Midwest infrastructure projects. Trump supports construction of the pipeline, spokesman Jason Miller told The Associated Press on Monday, but Miller wouldn’t say whether Trump would reverse the Army’s decision. Miller said the Trump administration will review the situation “and make the appropriate determination.” Trump holds stock in Energy Transfer Partners. Pipeline opponents worry that Trump’s investments could affect any decision he makes on the project as president. — EASEMENT DENIAL The Army on Sunday said it would not approve an easement for a pipeline crossing beneath Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir and the source of drinking water for the nearby Standing Rock Reservation. The Standing Rock tribe says the pipeline threatens its water and cultural sites. Assistant Army Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy said her decision was based on the need to consider alternative routes. Dallas-based pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners said the decision is politically motivated and that President Barack Obama‘s administration is just delaying the matter until he leaves office. Protesters, who describe themselves as “water protectors,” say they have no plans to leave despite the Army’s decision and recent wintry storms. Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault said Monday that he doesn’t think there will be any developments for months and that people should go home. — THE ORIGINS Energy Transfer Partners got federal permits for the pipeline in July, about two years after it was announced. The pipeline is projected to move a half-million barrels of crude oil daily to an existing pipeline in Patoka, Illinois, for shipment to Midwest and Gulf Coast markets. Supporters say the pipeline will have safeguards against leaks, and is a safer way to move oil than trucks and trains, especially after a handful of fiery – and sometimes deadly – derailments of trains carrying North Dakota crude. The Standing Rock Sioux, whose reservation straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border, have challenged the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to grant permits at more than 200 water crossings. A federal judge in September denied the tribe’s request to block construction of the entire pipeline. — MISSING LINK The pipeline is largely complete except for the section under Lake Oahe, about a mile upstream of the reservation. The tribe argues putting the pipeline there could affect drinking water for more than 8,000 tribal members and millions downstream. The Corps of Engineers granted Energy Transfer Partners the permits needed for the crossing in July, but the federal government decided in September that further analysis was warranted given the tribe’s concerns. Then came Sunday’s decision from the Army, which oversees the Corps. The company responded by asking U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to declare that it has the right to lay pipe under Lake Oahe. The judge isn’t likely to issue a decision until January at the earliest. Obama raised the possibility of rerouting the pipeline in early November, and Archambault has said that would be acceptable to the tribe provided the new route isn’t near the reservation and doesn’t cross the Missouri River. But Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren told The Associated Press that that the pipeline won’t be rerouted and the company has no alternative than to stick to its plan. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama’s only seat on TVA board in jeopardy by Jeff Sessions’ changing fortunes
Alabama is represented by only a single seat on the Tennessee Valley Authority board — Joe Ritch, a Huntsville attorney. But Ritch’s TVA board seat could be under fire by the election of Donald Trump and his pick for Attorney General, Sen. Jeff Sessions. Ritch, a Democrat nominated in 2013 by President Obama for a three-year term, is up for another term. Board members elected him chair, a position he currently holds. Lee Roop of Al.com notes that Ritch’s knowledge of North Alabama and strong leadership has earned him several local supporters, such as Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Jackson County Commission Chair Matthew Hodges and Madison Mayor Paul Finley. “They cite thousands of new jobs brought to the region and nearly $1 billion in new business investment during his tenure,” Roop writes. Ritch was instrumental in helping Jackson County rebound from economic damage due to federal policies and court rulings, Hodges said. Hodges also cited Ritch’s help after federal policies reduced reliance on coal to power TVA plants, which led to the shuttering of Widow’s Creek coal-based power plant and subsequent loss of jobs; Ritch worked to lure a Google data center now operating in the same location. “They came and I feel like have made an incredible effort to turn things around, to work with us and help us to help ourselves,” Hodges told Al.com. “(Ritch) was chairman of the board at that time. It took an effort from a lot of folks at TVA to make that happen, but you had his leadership.” “He’s been a very valuable member of the (local economic) team,” Battle added. “He’s the only chair Alabama’s ever had, he’s kept power rates low, and it would be a win-win for the community to keep him there.” Both Finley and Battle, whose positions are non-partisan, agree that Ritch doesn’t favor a specific Alabama city or the state in general. But someone like him on the board helps keep industry leaders aware that commitments will be kept. As of now, the Senate is left with only a few weeks to decide if Ritch stays with the TVA. If he is not approved before Congress’ Christmas break, President-elect Trump will name a successor. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, chaired by Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe ,determines TVA board members; a committee which Sessions is a member. Senate rules allow senators to either approve – or block — presidential nominations from their respective states. The first time around, Sessions gave Ritch the thumbs-up. This time, he has not yet said he would. “We’ve been in a continual conversation with the (entire) Alabama delegation,” Battle told reporters. If Sessions becomes President Trump’s attorney general and a replacement for Ritch is chosen, Alabama’s new Republican Senator could have veto power. That is if Trump nominates another Alabamian, and Sessions’ replacement is named to the public works committee. Alabama is represented on the TVA by someone already approved by Sessions, Roop says local leaders hope it stays that way.
Top Democrat, Patty Murray, signals likely opposition to Jeff Sessions nomination
Top Senate candidates are signally they will oppose Sen. Jeff Sessions‘ attorney general nomination. The Hill reported Monday that Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, has signaled she will oppose Session’s nomination. According to the report, Murray, the No. 3 Senate Democrat in 2017, said the Senate rejected Sessions’ nomination 30 years ago because of civil rights concerns, and many of those same concerns still exist. In a Facebook post, Murray said she has seen Sessions vote against the Violence Against Women Act, the Voting Rights Act and hate crime legislation. “The person overseeing the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice should be absolutely committed to protecting civil rights and making sure that fighting racism, discrimination, and hate crimes remains a core mission of the Department,” she said in the Facebook post. “Anything less than a full commitment to actively and aggressively working to promote the civil rights of everyone in our country—regardless of race, religion, disability, gender, or sexual orientation—is unacceptable to me for someone in this position,” she continued. “A Republican Senate rejected Senator Sessions thirty years ago because of concerns they had about his record on civil rights and racial issues—and many of those same concerns linger three decades later.” The Hill reported Sessions supported the Voting Rights Act in 2006 and Eric Holder’s nomination as the first African-American attorney general. He is well-liked among his Senate colleagues, The Hill reported Republicans have signaled they hope to swiftly move his nomination through the Senate. Democrats have pledged to give Sessions a grilling, but face an uphill battle. He only needs a simple majority to secure the position, and Republicans are expected to have 52 seats in the Senate next year. The Hill reported Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, has said he will vote for him.
