A Senate committee voted to confirm Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to be attorney general on Wednesday, two days after the growing controversy surrounding President Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim nations led to the firing of an acting attorney general for insubordination.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Sessions 11-9 along party lines. His nomination now goes to the floor, where he is widely expected to be confirmed given the GOP’s 52-seat majority.
The committee vote comes as Senate Democrats have sought to slow progress on other Trump nominees, including Steve Mnuchin, the pick at the Treasury Department, and Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), Trump’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department.
The Alabama senator’s already difficult path to confirmation was made more contentious by Trump’s firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who deemed the president’s order illegal and said she would not have Justice attorneys defend it.
(AP)
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2 Responses
Anyone knows when his vote will go to the senate floor?And when will tillerson get a vote?
52-seat majority means using the nuclear standard, instead of the historical 60 vote standard. It seems Harry Read’s policy change has come back to bite the Democrats. Partisanship is an outgrowth of our economic model, power (control) and money are the banners that activate. Competition is invaluable, just do it by the rules.