Michael Bennet: “through the Chair, I would like to thank the senior Senator from Texas for his courtesy in allowing me to speak this…”

“through the Chair, I would like to thank the senior Senator from Texas for his courtesy in allowing me to speak this afternoon. Lynch Nomination Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the nomination of Loretta Lynch to be our next Attorney General. It has been 131 days since President Obama nominated her for this position. By Monday, she will have waited longer on the Senate floor than the last seven Attorney General nominees combined. When it comes to Ms. Lynch's nomination, it seems as if we are setting records--but for all of the wrong reasons. The irony of that is that she is probably one of the most qualified and least political Attorney General nominees that this Chamber has seen in decades. She has spent a significant portion of her career as a Federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, having twice served as the U.S. attorney. There she took on corrupt public officials and expanded the office's national security practice. She has also worked in private practice at one of the country's top law firms, where she specialized in commercial litigation, white-collar criminal defense, and corporate compliance. In 2011, she was recognized as the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation honoree of the year. In 2014, she was honored as the recipient of the Women in Federal Law Enforcement Foundation President's Award. She has received support--no surprise--from all across the political spectrum.…”