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For Immediate Release
President-Elect Donald J. Trump Selects U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
(New York, NY) –
President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced that he intends to
nominate U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General and
U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn has been selected to be the Assistant to
the
President for National Security Affairs.
U.S. Senator Jeff
Sessions has dedicated his life to public service. He has a
distinguished legal career and has served as both the U.S. Attorney for
the Southern District of Alabama and Alabama Attorney General prior to
his service in the U.S. Senate. He has been one of President-elect
Trump’s trusted advisors on the campaign and will now continue his
service as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
“It is an
honor to nominate U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney
General of the United States,” said President-elect Trump. “Jeff has
been a highly respected member of the U.S. Senate for 20 years. He is a
world-class legal mind and considered a truly great Attorney General
and U.S. Attorney in the state of Alabama. Jeff is greatly admired by
legal scholars and virtually everyone who knows him.”
"I am
humbled to have been asked by President-elect Trump to serve as
Attorney General of the United States,” said U.S. Senator Sessions. “My
previous 15 years working in the Department of Justice were
extraordinarily fulfilling. I love the Department, its people and its
mission. I can think of no greater honor than to lead them. With the
support of my Senate colleagues, I will give all my strength to advance
the Department's highest ideals. I enthusiastically embrace
President-elect Trump's vision for ‘one America,’ and his commitment to
equal justice under law. I look forward to fulfilling my duties with an
unwavering dedication to fairness and impartiality."
Lt. Gen.
Michael Flynn, a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and
former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, assumes the
position of National Security Advisor with a decorated career of more
than 35 years in service to our nation. He served as President-elect
Trump’s top military advisor during the campaign and will now continue
providing expert advice and support to the President-elect as his
National Security Advisor.
“I am pleased that Lieutenant General
Michael Flynn will be by my side as we work to defeat radical Islamic
terrorism, navigate geopolitical challenges and keep Americans safe at
home and abroad,” said President-elect Trump. “General Flynn is one of
the country’s foremost experts on military and intelligence matters and
he will be an invaluable asset to me and my administration.”
"I
am deeply humbled and honored to accept the position as National
Security Advisor to serve both our country and our nation's next
President, Donald J. Trump,” said Lieutenant General Flynn.
Congressman
Mike Pompeo, representing Kansas’ Fourth Congressional District, is a
former active duty cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, graduated first in
his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, received his
J.D. from Harvard Law School and was an editor of the Harvard Law
Review. He currently serves on the House Intelligence Committee, which
oversees America’s intelligence-gathering efforts.
“I am proud
to nominate Congressman Mike Pompeo as Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency,” said President-elect Trump. “He has served our
country with honor and spent his life fighting for the security of our
citizens. Mike graduated number one in his class at West Point and is a
graduate of Harvard Law School where he served as an editor of the
Harvard Law Review. He will be a brilliant and unrelenting leader for
our intelligence community to ensure the safety of Americans and our
allies.”
“I am honored to have been given this opportunity to
serve and to work alongside President-elect Donald J. Trump to keep
America safe. I also look forward to working with America’s
intelligence warriors, who do so much to protect Americans each and
every day,” said Congressman Pompeo.
November 18, 2016
President-elect Trump on the Right Track with Sen. Sessions for Attorney General
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2016
CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao
FRC Commends President-elect Trump's Selection of Sen. Sessions as Attorney General
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Family Research Council today commended President-elect Donald Trump's choice of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) as the next Attorney General in the new administration.Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:
"I offer my congratulations to Senator Sessions and commend President-Elect Trump for making another wise selection by choosing Senator Sessions as our nation's next attorney general. This selection is, of course, is in addition to the other quality individuals that have been announced by the Trump administration.
"Yet again, President-elect Trump has defied naysayers criticizing his transition team. President-elect Trump has surrounded himself with solid advisors, and his selection of Senator Sessions for attorney general increases my confidence that the Trump administration will be one that cherishes the Constitution and its protection of our freedom from government oppression. Senator Sessions understands the importance of all of our God-given rights, respects the rule of law, and will be a vital part of restoring our nation to its greatness.
"I look forward to January when the nation again has an opportunity to make freedom mean something under President Trump's leadership," concluded Perkins.
-30-
FAIR Congratulates Senator Jeff Sessions for Nomination as Attorney General
“It’s hard to imagine a better pick for the Attorney General position than Senator Jeff Sessions,” said FAIR President Dan Stein
“As America’s top attorney, Senator Sessions would put an end to the flagrant violation of federal immigration law by the more than 300 sanctuary cities and jurisdictions across the nation. For too long now, sanctuary cities have been all but ignored by the federal government, despite the undisputed fact that they serve as a beacon to illegal immigration. Their continued presence is a clear threat to national security, public safety, and the rule of law.
“Jeff Sessions has decades of experience in the Senate, was instrumental in defeating mass amnesty bills, and is the leading voice for immigration policies that serve the national interest.
“Having served as the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, Senator Sessions’ expertise in the area of immigration is unmatched. It’s hard to imagine a better pick for the Attorney General position than Senator Jeff Sessions.”
Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 500,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.
ERIKA HERNANDEZ, Communications Specialist
Or FERNANDA DURAND, Communications Manager
CASA Opposes Appointment of Sen. Sessions as Nation's Top Law Enforcer
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 18, 2016) _ CASA vehemently opposes the appointment of a Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama for the position of Attorney General.Sessions has built a reputation as an anti-immigrant advocate throughout his career. With his possible appointment, he will be at the center of a hard-right, anti-immigrant campaign that will spread panic across the nation for the undocumented community and disrupt the economy. Additionally, his past disregard for human rights are a complete contradiction to the position’s duty to safeguard the civil rights of all Americans.
“This is no way to create a working relationship with the opposition,” said CASA’s Executive Director Gustavo Torres. “To appoint a cadre of the most anti-immigrant, anti-minority candidates to the highest positions in power, is to thumb your nose at the majority of the country who voted for Hillary Clinton and the values of the Democratic Party.”
“Sessions is a dangerous man in this position," Torres said. "He has voiced some of the most anti-immigrant rhetoric and proposals to come out of the Republican Party.”
Furthermore, in an economy with an admirable 4.9 percent unemployment rate, the elimination of workers who work many low-wage jobs in farming and other service industries will cause irreparable damage to the overall economy.
Sessions also:
- -He was named Amnesty International's worst enemy in 2014: Sessions has opposed nearly every immigration bill that has come before the Senate the past two decades that has included a path to citizenship for immigrants.
- -He's also fought legal immigration, including guest worker programs for migrants and visa programs for foreign workers in science, math and high-tech (STEM). In 2007, Sessions got a bill passed essentially banning for 10 years federal contractors who hire illegal immigrants.
- -Indications of racism: In 1986, a Senate committee denied Sessions, then a 39-year-old U.S. attorney in Alabama, a federal judgeship. His former colleagues testified Sessions used the n-word and joked about the Ku Klux Klan, saying he thought they were "okay, until he learned that they smoked marijuana."
CASA is a Latino and immigrant organization and a national leader in building power and improving the quality of life in low-income Latino and immigrant communities. Its vision is for a future in which diverse and thriving communities live free from discrimination and fear, and work together with mutual respect to achieve full human rights for all. Over its 30-year history CASA has established itself as a strong national leader in innovations for Latino and immigrant-focused services, and backbone organization for collective impact involving community-based, government and private partners.
American Immigration Council
November 18, 2016
Jeff Sessions Nominated to Serve as Attorney General
Washington D.C. - News broke this morning that Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions will be nominated to serve as Attorney General in President-Elect Trump’s new administration. The following is a statement from Beth Werlin, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council.“Hope that President-Elect Trump would moderate his extreme views on immigration took a major hit with the announcement that he is nominating Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General of the United States. Senator Sessions is the leading anti-immigration voice in the U.S. Senate. For years, Senator Sessions has urged severe restrictions on visas, called for drastically expanded immigration enforcement, and blocked all practical reforms to our outdated immigration system.
“As the country’s top lawyer and highest-ranking law enforcement official tasked with administering justice, the Attorney General has substantial authority over our nation’s laws, including our immigration laws. In fact, the Immigration and Nationality Act (the governing law over immigration) grants the Attorney General broad powers to modify, adjust, and decide how much of the law is implemented. He also oversees the immigration court system, which is charged with ensuring a fair day in court for those who face deportation from the United States. Therefore, the Attorney General position requires a person who can serve as a fair and balanced decision maker on a range of issues. How can we trust someone in that role who has demonstrated he thinks all forms of immigration are bad for America?
“We strongly urge the Senate to engage in a robust confirmation process, one which I believe will reveal SenatorSessions’ history of anti-immigrant attitudes, votes, and advocacy. This nomination is concerning to everyone who cares about the protection of civil and immigrant rights in America.”
ACLU
Friday, November 18, 2016
ACLU Statement on Potential Sessions and Pompeo Nominations
NEW YORK - In response to reports that Sen. Jeff Sessions will be nominated for the position of Attorney General and Rep. Mike Pompeo for director of the Central Intelligence Agency, ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero made the following statement:
“As a matter of organizational policy, the American Civil Liberties Union does not take a position supporting or opposing presidential or judicial nominations. We do, however, educate the American people and the Congress about nominees’ records and past positions.
“Sen. Sessions has called the ACLU un-American and communist, assertions we flatly reject. His positions on LGBT rights, capital punishment, abortion rights, and presidential authority in times of war have been contested by the ACLU and other civil rights organizations. As the nation’s highest-ranking law enforcement official, the attorney general is charged with protecting the rights of all Americans. In his confirmation hearings, senators, the media, and the American public should closely examine his stances on these key issues to ensure we can have confidence in his ability to uphold the Constitution and our laws on behalf of all Americans.
“Congressman Pompeo’s positions on bulk surveillance and Guantanamo Bay also raise serious civil liberties concerns about privacy and due process. These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process. His positions on mass surveillance have been rejected by federal courts and have been the subject of several lawsuits filed by the ACLU, including ACLU v. Clapper.”
November 20, 2016
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Civil Rights & Law Enforcement Groups Are Strongly Supporting Sen. Jeff Sessions for Attorney General
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Former Deputy Attorney General of the United States under President George W. Bush Larry Thompson: "I can tell you as a friend and someone who has known Jeff Sessions for 32 years that Jeff does not have a racist bone in his body. When I first met Jeff, he was U.S. Attorney in Mobile and I was the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta. In order to stretch our limited per diems on travel to Department of Justice conferences, we often booked single rooms with double beds in hotels. You really get to know a person when you interact so closely with them.
"When I was asked by Attorney General William French Smith to head the Southeastern Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force simply because of my strategic location in Atlanta, a delicate situation was presented. The Task Force consisted of eleven other U.S. Attorney Offices but any potential problem was avoided because Jeff rallied the other U.S. Attorneys around our common cause and my leadership.
"As a former federal prosecutor, Jeff knows the workings of the Justice Department inside and out. He is thoroughly familiar with the legal issues the Department will face. He understands the mission of the Department and will carry out his duties in a professional, thoughtful, and balanced manner. More recently, Jeff voted to confirm President Obama’s choice as Attorney General, Eric Holder.
"By the way, I have been an African American for 71 years and I think I know a racist when I experience one. Jeff Sessions is simply a good and decent man."
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft: "The political 'drive-by-assassins' who have trotted out the 30-year-old fabrication of racism are utterly devoid of the truth. When attackers resort to 30-year-old falsehoods it is clear evidence of their lack of substantive objection.
"Jeff is devoted to the proposition that equity before the law and in our society is at the heart and soul of what it means to be American. Nothing so completely rivals the injustice of racism more profoundly than the reckless labelling of persons who are not.
"Jeff Sessions has earned the trust of America with over three decades of fair and equitable service to the entirety of our culture. He deserves our commendation and support, not conjured, baseless attacks."
U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Peter Kirsanow: “Senator Sessions is a good man and a great man. He has done more to protect the jobs and enhance the wages of black workers than anyone in either house of Congress over the last 10 years. Of all the Senators and public officials that I’ve dealt with, I cannot think of anyone who has been more devoted to issues related to wages and employment levels of all Americans, but particularly black American workers.
"[Senator Sessions] is a man of tremendous integrity. I think it was an inspired pick. He’s going to be a marvelous Attorney General.
"It’s scandalous that they’re trying to say he’s a racist. They are trying to demonize the Alabama of 2016 as somehow being the Alabama of 1946. And they are trying to similarly falsely caricature Sen. Sessions. But that is not the case. I’ve gotten the opportunity to deal with him on a regular basis and he is a wonderful human being.”
Civil Rights Attorney and founder of the Black American Leadership Alliance Leah Durant: “Senator Sessions has been a leader in the fight for preserving American jobs and ensuring opportunities for African American workers.”
Robert N. Driscoll, managing partner, McGlinchey Stafford, Washington, D.C., and former deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: “Senator Sessions could be a good attorney general for civil rights because he will be driven by the law. His interpretation of the law will not please everyone, but I predict it will be fairly applied without fear or favor. Clear cases will be prosecuted with vigor. Creative interpretations of the law may cease, but the meat-and-potatoes work of the division (intentional discrimination, police misconduct, disability law) will continue apace, conducted without impropriety or political favoritism. That alone will be a breath of fresh air.”
National Sheriffs’ Association: “Senator Sessions would be an outstanding nominee for U.S. Attorney General. Sen. Sessions has enormous integrity, fidelity to the rule of law, substantial experience and a commitment to fairness and equal justice under the law. Those are qualities America needs as its chief law enforcement officer to the Federal Government.
"Throughout his career, Senator Sessions has steadfastly supported the men and women who risk their lives every day to preserve the rule of law. Senator Sessions is an experienced prosecutor with a world-class legal mind, serving as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, Alabama Attorney General and for two decades on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Department of Justice.
"Senator Sessions would be an extraordinary Attorney General and we’re hopeful the new administration nominates him and the U.S. Senate quickly confirms.”
National District Attorneys Association (NDAA): "Today, the National District Attorneys Association, representing 2,500 diverse Republican and Democratic elected prosecutors and their 40,000 assistants, formally endorsed Senator Jeff Sessions from the State of Alabama to be the 84th Attorney General of the United States. Rarely in the history of this great country has a candidate been more qualified to serve in this capacity in an effort to promote and protect public safety.
"The breadth of Senator Sessions experience is vast. Born in Selma, Alabama to hard working parents who operated a general store, the Senator was educated at Huntington College in Montgomery and received his law degree from the University of Alabama in 1973.
"Manifesting an early interest in public service, Sessions became a U.S. Army Reservist, eventually reaching the rank of Captain. He was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama in 1981, a post he held with distinction for 12 years. He was elected Alabama Attorney General in 1994 and served until his election to the United States Senate in 1996, where he has served his state and country until today. His background in both state and federal prosecution makes him uniquely qualified to be our nation’s top law enforcement official.
"While in the Senate, Senator Sessions has fought tirelessly in support of prosecutors and crime victims through his efforts to maintain the ability of law enforcement and prosecutors to seize the illgotten gains of criminal enterprises and, perhaps most impressively, his efforts to champion the cause of our most vulnerable victims, namely children devastated by the evils of physical and sexual abuse."
On his nomination, NDAA Alabama State Director Steve Marshall said, “Jeff Sessions has been a passionate advocate for criminal justice issues shown through his full support of law enforcement and prosecutors across the country. He will serve us well as this country’s next Attorney General."
Major County Sheriffs’ Association (MCSA): “Your service and knowledgeable experience within the field of criminal justice makes you a uniquely qualified candidate and will undoubtedly serve you well.
"Expected to lead the U.S. Department of Justice on issues from tackling complex organized crime and cyber-threats, to sophisticated fraud and terrorism, the Attorney General of the United States requires not only a strong command of all justice concerns, but the ability to work cooperatively and closely with a broad community of law enforcement agencies and leaders across the country. Within the current Administration, there has been a continued pattern of making critical decisions affecting the law enforcement community without adequate stakeholder consultation. Issues range from the acquisition of military surplus equipment to immigration enforcement and asset forfeiture.
"You have continued to be a strong advocate for law enforcement and we sincerely thank you for your hard work and commitment to public safety. As an association of elected sheriffs representing our nation’s largest counties with populations of 500,000 people or more, serving over 100 million Americans, we seek to be a positive source of ideas and solutions and you have been a reliable and valuable partner of the MCSA."
National Association of Police Organizations, Inc. (NAPO): “You have been a voice for law enforcement on many issues facing our community as a Senator and member of the Judiciary Community and we look forward to continue working with you on these issues as the head of the Department of Justice. We are proud to offer you our whole-hearted support.
"NAPO is a coalition of police units and associations from across the United States that serves to advance the interests of America’s law enforcement officers. Founded in 1978, NAPO now represents more than 1,000 police units and associations, 241,000 sworn law enforcement officers, and more than 100,000 citizens who share a common dedication to fair and effective crime control and law enforcement.
"NAPO has enjoyed working with you and having your support on many of our priority legislation, including the Thin Blue Line Act and the Lifesaving Gear for Police Act. As this nation is experiencing an increase in the number of assaults on law enforcement officers, these two bills are essential to protecting the lives of officers. We hope to see President Obama’s Executive Order 13688 restricting law enforcement’s access to surplus military equipment overturned by President Trump.
"You have shown a strong understanding of law enforcement’s needs, as further exemplified by your amendment to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act to include emergency exceptions to the warrant requirement. This understating is again illustrated by your opposition to the expansive Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act and your endorsement of the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act. We thank you for your continued support for America’s law enforcement officers.
"NAPO looks forward to continue working with you on these and other key issues affecting the law enforcement community in your new position."
National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys (NAAUSA): The National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys expresses its strong support for the selection of Senator Jeff Sessions to become the next Attorney General of the United States. Senator Sessions, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney, Alabama Attorney General, four-term U.S. Senator, and longtime member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a man of unquestionable integrity and unparalleled experience. Throughout his distinguished career he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equal justice for all."
NAAUSA President Steve Cook said “Senator Sessions is uniquely equipped to be the chief law enforcement officer of our Nation and to lead the Department of Justice. We congratulate President-elect Trump for his selection of Senator Sessions to this important post and we look forward to his formal nomination and prompt confirmation by the Senate.”
Republican Attorneys General Association: "On behalf of the twenty-nine Republican Attorneys General across the country, we congratulate Jeff Sessions on his nomination to be our nation's Attorney General."
“Senator Sessions is a world-class legal mind and experienced prosecutor, having served his country admirably as both U.S. Attorney and Alabama Attorney General," said Luther Strange, Chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association.
"Senator Sessions is respected across party lines in the U.S. Senate and has a strong civil rights record in his decades of public service. Senator Sessions is a credit to our nation and I know he will make us proud in his new role where he will continue to be a champion for our Constitution and the rule of law.”
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