Senate Republicans and Democrats reached a deal Tuesday to vote on a bipartisan human trafficking bill, paving the way for a confirmation vote on the stalled nomination of Loretta Lynch to become attorney general.
"There is a bipartisan proposal that will allow us to complete action on this important legislation so we can provide help for the victims who desperately need it," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "As soon as we finish the trafficking bill, as I’ve indicated for some time now, we’ll move to the president’s nominee for attorney general in the next day or so."
The human trafficking bill, which was supposed to be an easy bipartisan vote, devolved into a partisan battle as Senate Democrats blocked the bill because of concerns about abortion language in the bill.
More than six months after her nomination to become U.S. attorney general, federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch will finally get a confirmation vote this week in the Senate.
The choice of Lynch, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, to replace Attorney General Eric Holder has become a political casualty of a Senate debate over a bill to prevent human trafficking.
Lynch's confirmation would make her the first African-American woman to become the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
She appears to have support from enough Republicans who have said they would vote for her and all Democratic senators to be confirmed.
President Barack Obama raised the ante Friday by angrily criticizing Republicans, saying the failure to confirm Lynch was “embarrassing.” Civil rights groups led by the Rev. Al Sharpton announced actions supporting Lynch, including a fast to draw attention to the long delay.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who had threatened to use parliamentary maneuvers to force a vote, said Monday the two sides are on the verge of a deal on the trafficking bill.
“My Republican colleagues appear to be close to seeing the light on human trafficking, and there seems to be a path forward,” Reid said on the Senate floor. “But there is no guarantee we can do it. As of right now, we do not have a set agreement in place to finish our work on the bill, but we are working toward that goal.”
When the Democrats lost the Senate majority in last fall’s elections, they delayed Lynch’s confirmation vote while they still retained the majority for a few more weeks until Republicans took control in January.
Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said that McConnell had promised “that the Lynch nomination will get a vote” immediately after the trafficking bill passed.
“Members are continuing to work to find a way to overcome the Democrats’ filibuster of a bipartisan bill that will help prevent women and children from being sold into sex slavery,” said Stewart. “Once that bill’s complete, the Lynch nomination is next.”
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, the bill’s co-sponsor, is working with Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Patty Murray of Washington on wording that both sides can accept.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest responded to questions Monday about statements made Sunday on CNN by Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., saying a breakthrough was imminent on the trafficking bill.
“I think this is going to be resolved in the early part of this week,” Corker said. “My sense is, over the next 48 to 72 hours, that is going to be resolved.”
Earnest, who last week had engaged in a war of words with Republican lawmakers over Lynch, said at Monday’s White House briefing, “Now we certainly would have liked to have seen congressional action on this quite some time ago. We haven’t because of the Republican obstruction. But if it is removed in the next 48 to 72 hours, we certainly would welcome that development.”
African-American community leaders said a vote is long overdue.
Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said, “We’re hopeful and optimistic that action will be taken this week. The interesting thing about the whole process is there’s not a single individual who’s criticized Ms. Lynch’s qualifications to serve as attorney general. Her record is impeccable. The only reason she’s being held up is for political reasons.”
Renee Schoof of the Washington Bureau contributed to this report.