Sally Q. Yates, a former U.S. attorney for Georgia’s Northern District, cleared an important milestone Thursday on her way to the No. 2 job at the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 18-2 to clear Yates’ nomination, as Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, declared Yates to be a less controversial choice than Loretta Lynch, President Barack Obama’s nominee for attorney general. Among the yes votes was Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue of Georgia.
Lynch was confirmed by the full Senate on Thursday afternoon, with most Republicans — including both from Georgia — opposed, particularly because of her views on Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
Grassley said Thursday that Yates was more responsive to the committee’s questions than Lynch and indicated she would be more independent from the White House, which he took from her response that the Justice Department’s chief client is “the American people.”
“She’ll be the No. 2,” Grassley added. “In this position, obviously, she’ll have less policy-making authority than the attorney general. That factor, as well as her willingness to demonstrate some independence when the situation calls for it, and her willingness to take at least a small step to respond to some of my questions, leads me to support her nomination.”
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the top Democrat on the committee, pointed out that Yates’ nomination was supported by Republican Gov. Nathan Deal and Attorney General Sam Olens.
Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia also announced his support for Yates on Thursday.
Isakson said in a joint press release with Perdue that “Yates is an exceptionally skilled attorney with a strong record of public service.”
“She has served with distinction as U.S. attorney for Georgia’s Northern District and throughout her career has demonstrated her abilities as a talented and evenhanded prosecutor in a wide array of challenging cases,” Isakson said.
Yates has been serving in an acting capacity for months as she awaits Senate confirmation.
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