Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday he will vote against Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Trump’s choice for attorney general.
The New York Times reported Schumer plans to formally announce his position later on Thursday, a day after Sessions’s confirmation hearings wrapped up. In a statement, Schumer said he’s not confident Sessions will stand up for minorities and other citizens.
Schumer said Sessions may not “serve as an independent check on the incoming administration,” the Times reported.
Related Story: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2611384
“The attorney general of the United States has a sacred obligation to enforce our laws and uphold the Constitution. The law gives a voice to the voiceless, it protects the oppressed from the powerful, and it defends the rights of all people, regardless of gender, sexuality, or religion,” Schumer said in a statement.
“The attorney general must wake up every single day ensuring the rights of all Americans: immigrants, minorities, young and old, gay and straight, disabled and not are protected. Every right — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the freedom to vote, or any other enshrined in our Constitution or the law — must be protected for every American,” he said.
Schumer’s decision is not a surprise, as most Senate Democrats are expected to vote against Sessions. But Sessions is still expected to be confirmed due to the Republican majority in the Senate and some Democrats, like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who have signaled their intention to cross the aisle.
