FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
K. Kim Atterbury | katterbury@nul.org | (202) 629-5750
National Urban League Statement on the Confirmation of Senator Sessions for U.S. Attorney General
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 8, 2017) – Today, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial released the following statement on the confirmation of Senator Jefferson Sessions for U.S. Attorney General:
“Senator Jeff Sessions has a well-documented record of railing against the hard-fought gains in the struggle towards equality. Among his many civil rights offenses was his opposition to extend Federal hate crimes protections to women, LGBT people, and people with disabilities; his opposition to protect women from domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault; his opposition to the DREAM Act and Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; his belief that the Voting Rights Act is intrusive; and his close ties to extremist, white nationalist organizations.
“The bias and insensitivity he has shown towards people of color, immigrants, women, the disabled and for basic civil and human rights should have incensed every American and immediately disqualified him as our nation’s top cop.
“Although today is a setback, it is not a rollback. While we hope to have a partner in civil rights with the U.S. Attorney General, should Sessions prove to be anything but a fair and impartial defender of liberty and justice, our community will hold him fully accountable. We will remain vigilant and responsive to any attempt to erode progress in racial, social and economic equality.”
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