Burr, Tillis: NAACP protest will not change vote on Lynch
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Despite protests outside the offices of North Carolina senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis Monday, Burr told ABC11 he has no plans to change his mind about President Obama's choice to be the next United States Attorney General: Loretta Lynch.
Burr's already on record as opposing the nomination, but vocal supporters of Lynch, a Harvard law grad and native of Greensboro, are still trying to convince both senators from North Carolina to vote for her. They've traveled to Washington and met with Burr in his office there after Lynch was grilled by Congress.
Burr said he fears Lynch will adopt the agenda of current Attorney General Eric Holder - which he opposes.
"I gave her every opportunity to show, to tell me exactly how she would be independent of what Eric Holder's agenda was," said Burr Monday.
The senator, however, told ABC11 he doesn't believe his opposition will block the nominee.
"Clearly, I believe I'm in the right on this one, but I see Loretta Lynch's nomination going quickly after we get back to Congress, and I would imagine she will be confirmed," he explained.
Sen. Tillis' spokesperson Meghan Burris released the following statement on the issue to ABC11: "Senator Tillis has immense personal and professional respect for Loretta Lynch. However, because Ms. Lynch has stated her clear support for the President's unconstitutional executive amnesty plan and did not make a firm commitment to reverse the partisan politicization that presently exists at the Department of Justice, he will not be supporting her confirmation. In the event that Ms. Lynch is confirmed, Senator Tillis stands ready to work with her on key areas of agreement, and ultimately hopes that she will work to restore the Department's reputation for legal integrity that is divorced from politics."
