Sen. Coats Won't Support Lynch for U.S. Attorney General

U.S. Sen. Dan Coats will not support President Obama’s nomination of Loretta Lynch for Attorney General. The Indiana Republican says Lynch’s view of the president’s executive action on immigration disqualifies her from the job.

When asked her legal opinion of the president’s executive action on immigration during her senate confirmation hearing in January, Lynch, the current U.S. attorney for New York’s Eastern District, said she agreed with the US Office of Legal Counsel opinion--that the action represents a lawful prioritization of resources, given the Department of Homeland Security’s inability to deport all undocumented people.

In a statement released Friday morning, Senator Coats said that Lynch's opinion on the matter means he cannot support her nomination.

"Ms. Lynch’s expressed view that President Obama’s executive amnesty is lawful demonstrates that she is not the right person to serve as our country’s chief law enforcement officer," the statement reads. "The executive branch cannot write laws or selectively enforce them based on political prerogatives. We need an independent attorney general who will enforce the law as written.”

President Obama nominated Lynch last  November to replace current U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will not bring a vote on Lynch’s confirmation until a vote is held on a once uncontroversial human trafficking bill.