Pelosi Remarks at Congressional Black Caucus Press Conference Urging Confirmation of Loretta Lynch

Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks today during a press conference with the Congressional Black Caucus to urge confirmation of Loretta Lynch for U.S. Attorney General. Below are the Leader's Remarks:

"Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for your great leadership, for calling us together in support of calling for the confirmation of Loretta Lynch. I want to also commend the former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, who had been having these kinds of press conferences – well, she continued until, I guess, just recently, a few days ago, and now here we are again. And we've heard again and again that the confirmation was imminent, that something was coming soon. And we hope that that word will come true today. And when it does, it will be because of so much of the advocacy and the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus.

"So I'm here to say ‘thank you' to the Congressional Black Caucus for what you have done to keep this in the public attention, in the eye of the public. I just want to associate myself with the remarks of Mr. Butterfield in the interest of time, because we have many speakers. Loretta Lynch – she was nominated 165 days ago. One hundred and sixty-five days ago – a third of the year ago. And she should be confirmed. She should have been confirmed by now. Because she is brilliant, because she is capable, because she is experienced, because she has demonstrated her leadership – whether it is fighting corruption, human trafficking, terrorism, you name it, and promoting civil rights.

"I will close by saying: the last time I saw her, to talk to her in person, was in Selma. And as I was watching her watch the President speak, I was thinking, how wonderful: the daughter of a North Carolina preacher – her father a North Carolina preacher and a civil rights activist – soon will be the first American-American woman to serve as Attorney General. What a statement about her qualifications, that she has the confidence of the President, the pride of our nation. And how great for America that she will be the top legal official in America. With that, I yield to Mr. Hoyer, the Democratic Whip, who has been working on this for a long time as well. Mr. Hoyer."

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