California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has asked Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to delay confirmation hearings for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who has been nominated to serve as attorney general in the Trump administration.
Feinstein penned a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman requesting more time to review materials related to their colleague before he appears before a panel on Jan. 10 and 11. GOP sources told the Washington Examiner on Friday that Grassley’s goal is to have the Senate confirm Sessions on Feb. 3.
“I am more than happy to abide by the precedent of having the time run on when to have a hearing as soon as the production of materials is complete,” Feinstein wrote. “In order to have a full and fair process, we must have all the documents responsive to the Committee questionnaire.”
Feinstein said the materials related to Sessions’ record are likely to be “voluminous” and some turned over so far have been incomplete.
“While I recognize the history of timing between receiving documents and holding a hearing, unfortunately, the records we had received as of 8:10 p.m. Friday night were not complete,” she wrote.
Sessions was tapped by President-elect Trump last month to serve as the nation’s top prosecutor. He was the first major Cabinet pick the incoming Republican president made.
