Hon. Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader
Hon. Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader-Elect
Hon. Patrick J. Leahy, Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee
Hon. Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee
Messrs. Reid, McConnell, Leahy and Grassley:
I am writing to urge the expeditious, bipartisan confirmation of United States Attorney Loretta Lynch as Attorney General, to replace Eric Holder upon his departure from the Justice Department.
As a District Attorney who has worked with Ms. Lynch on numerous cases of violent and white-collar crimes, and as a former Assistant U.S. Attorney myself, I know that Ms. Lynch has everything that our communities and our nation need in the country’s top law enforcement official. I know that she has the toughness, the fairness and the dedication to upholding our laws that we need in an Attorney General to protect America from threats and injustice both domestic and international.
In fighting terrorism, financial crimes, public corruption, gang crimes and civil rights violations, Ms. Lynch’s list of accomplishments is long and well-known. She’s widely admired for her quiet approach to doing justice – vigorously and without focusing on personal credit or political gain.
Like all good prosecutors, Ms. Lynch is not a partisan figure, and allows the law – not politics – to guide her as she serves as an advocate for Americans. In today’s too-partisan environment in Washington, Ms. Lynch is a refreshingly non-partisan professional that the Senate – and the nation – should support.
There’s no doubt that Ms. Lynch’s confirmation would be historic cause for celebration in that she would be the first woman of color to be United States Attorney General. I’d submit that the prospect of a bipartisan, unanimous vote in Ms. Lynch’s favor would be just as historic. Both would give our nation much to be proud of at a time when the dignity of our democratic process is too often hijacked by political rancor and partisan gamesmanship.
As leaders of the U.S. Senate, you have the power to set the serious, bipartisan tone our nation needs at this moment. I urge you to exercise that power and encourage the swift bipartisan confirmation of Ms. Lynch, which I wholeheartedly support.
Sincerely,
KATHLEEN M. RICE
District Attorney