Jeff Sessions is confirmed as Attorney General

By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter

Wednesday, February 8, 2017, Jeff Sessions was confirmed as US Attorney General in a 52 to 47 vote of the US Senate after a rare marathon session. Elected leaders from across Alabama congratulated Sessions on his confirmation.

US Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) said in a statement, “It is great news for the American people and the rule of law that Jeff Sessions was confirmed to be the Attorney General of the United States. He has served the people of Alabama with honor, which is undoubtedly how he will approach the job as our nation’s Chief Law Enforcement officer.”

Sen. Shelby continued, “While I will miss partnering with Jeff in the Senate on behalf of our great state, our work together will not come to a close tonight. I join my fellow Alabamians and Senate colleagues in congratulating Attorney General Sessions, and I look forward to working with him in his new role.”

US Representative Martha Roby (R-Alabama) said that this was a “proud moment for Alabama and our country.” Congresswoman Roby said, “Jeff Sessions is a great American who has served his state and nation admirably. There is no one more qualified to serve as Attorney General, and his confirmation by the Senate is a proud moment for Alabama and our country. During the confirmation process, there were many unfair, untrue attacks on Jeff Sessions’ character – all in the name of politics. I know him to be a man of the highest integrity, and I have no doubt he will prove his critics wrong as he works in the best interests of all Americans as Attorney General of the United States.”

US Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) said, “Although this confirmation should have come sooner, I am pleased the Senate today confirmed Jeff Sessions as the United States Attorney General under President Donald Trump. I look forward to his strict enforcement of our immigration laws, support for local law enforcement officers, protection of our Second Amendment rights, and adherence to the rule of law. I appreciate Jeff Sessions’ willingness to serve and have every confidence he will faithfully defend the Constitution and protect the rights of all Americans.”

US Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) said: “Jeff Sessions is going to make an outstanding Attorney General, and I could not be happier for him. As someone who has spent most of his career enforcing and defending the rule of law, I know Jeff will help restore law and order in our country. I hate to lose his leadership and advocacy in the Senate, but the United States is better off having Jeff Sessions as our Attorney General.”

US Representative Mike Rogers (R-Saks) said in an email, “Thankfully, with Jeff Sessions becoming our Attorney General, we will finally have a strong supporter of the rule of law at the DOJ. By building a border wall and enforcing the laws on the books, American can start to reclaim its sovereignty.”

US Representative Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) said on social media, “Tonight Alabama has much to be proud of and the United States of America has a new Attorney General whom the country will be proud of as well. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be a great asset to our nation as he follows the Constitution faithfully and works to restore respect for the law and confidence in our justice system. I applaud my colleagues in the Senate for voting to confirm Attorney General Sessions.”

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R-Montrose) said on Twitter, “A truly remarkable time in our state’s history: Alabama congratulates @SenatorSessions, America’s new US Attorney General.

Democrats and their allies were upset about what was yet another in a string of defeats since November.

Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue released a statement: “After the Trump administration spent its first week incessantly attacking our personal freedom, Jeff Sessions’ confirmation sends an ominous message to the most vulnerable members of our society. His record of misogyny and racism make him flat-out unfit to serve as attorney general—to the point where a Republican-led committee denied his confirmation to the federal bench—yet here we are. NARAL’s 1.2 million members will keep marching, protesting, and defending the rights of our fellow Americans.”

Gov. Bentley will announce who he is going to appoint to fill Alabama’s now vacant US Senate seat. There will be a special election in 2018. The Hill’s Mallory Shelbourne is reporting that GOP sources claim that Bentley will appoint Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange (R) on Thursday to fill the vacancy.

Strange said, “Today, I join with the people of Alabama in offering our congratulations to Jeff Sessions on his confirmation as our United States Attorney General. Now the whole country will have the privilege of knowing the fine man that Alabamians have long come to admire and revere.”

AG Strange said, “As Alabama’s Attorney General, I am particularly grateful for the reprieve from federal overreach that states will surely be granted under Attorney General Sessions. Throughout my six years in this office, I have wrestled with the Justice Department on an endless number of oppressive federal policies stemming from a total lack of constitutional deference and respect for the states. I am confident that Jeff Sessions will do his part to restore the delicate balance between the states and the federal government that the Founders envisioned.
Jeff Sessions will enforce our nation’s laws with impartiality and unwavering fidelity to the Constitution. He will support and reinvigorate our law enforcement officers. As demonstrated throughout his 20 years of service in the Senate, he will never sacrifice principle for popularity.”

Jeff Sessions has served the people of Alabama as US Senator since 1997. Prior to that he served as Alabama Attorney General, the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, and US Attorney for Alabama’s southern district. Sessions was the first US Senator to endorse Donald J. Trump for President of the United States.