Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch cleared a key procedural vote in the Senate, all but guaranteeing her confirmation later today.
In a 66-34 vote, senators voted to invoke cloture on Lynch’s nomination, essentially stopping a filibuster against her confirmation. A final vote is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Lynch, who is now serving as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, was first tapped by President Obama in November, but her nomination was delayed for months. She lost the support of many Republicans after endorsing Obama’s executive order protecting up to 5 million illegal immigrants. Her nomination was then tied to the passage of a human trafficking bill Democrats were blocking.
