Widely criticized attorney general pick advances to full Senate

Sen. Jeff Sessions received the nomination to be attorney general from the Senate Judiciary Committee after what the Associated Press calls “angry exchanges” between Republicans and Democrats.

Listen: Attorney General or chaperone?

The Committee voted 11-9 for the approval. All the Democrats voted against the nomination.

The Alabama Republican is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate, the Associated Press reports. Republicans have supported their colleague, arguing that he will follow the law and maintain traditional independence from President Donald Trump.

Democrats have expressed their doubts, which include Sessions’ ability to say no to Trump. They are concerned about whether Sessions will be committed to civil rights.

In Washington, several politicians have been vocal of their concerns with Sessions.

Prior to President Trump’s inauguration, Rep. Adam Smith called Sessions a “documented racist.”

“Senator Sessions has a long history of disturbing racism,” Smith said.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray went as far as releasing a statement in opposition to Sessions’ appointment.

Senator Sessions has been the leading anti-immigrant senator for nearly two decades. He has repeatedly fought any type of immigration reform, pushed to build a fence on the southern border, and proposed legislation threatening cities with federal funding cuts for supporting unauthorized immigrants. President-elect Trump’s choice underscores the need for cities like Seattle to stand up for our values of inclusiveness and compassion.

Regardless of who ultimately heads the Department of Justice, the City of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department will continue the important work of accountability reform in our police department under the Consent Decree and of strengthening the relationship between the community and police. Seattle has become a national leader in Constitutional and bias-free policing over the last four years and I look forward to transmitting our reform legislation to Council in the coming weeks.

There has also been concern within Washington state’s marijuana industry. Sessions, according to former state Attorney General Rob McKenna, has been the “single biggest opponent to marijuana legalization in the U.S. Senate, according to drug policy staff under Clinton and President Bush.”

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