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Statement

Confirmation of Sessions to Serve as U.S. Attorney General a ‘Huge Disservice to the Nation’

February 8, 2017
Immigration, Workplace Justice

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families
“It is nothing less than shameful that the U.S. Senate tonight confirmed Jeff Sessions to serve as U.S. Attorney General – our country’s chief law enforcement officer. Sessions’ record on basic civil rights is profoundly disturbing. His vision for America hurts our children, families, communities, economy and country.  In fact, Sessions’ use of racist rhetoric and targeting of civil rights activists rightly cost him a seat on the federal bench years ago, and it should have disqualified him from serving as U.S. Attorney General now.  Because of this, the moms and dads of America made calls, sent letters, and more to urge Senators to reverse course on this nomination.
 
“Make no mistake, Sessions will negatively impact our children and our communities, setting our nation back.  His record and rhetoric promote inequality and division. He has repeatedly opposed legislation that would make our nation more fair and just, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Violence Against Women Act. He defended discrimination on the basis of religion by supporting a ban on Muslims entering the United States. He embraced policies that oppose birthright citizenship and legal immigration. This fall, he called it ‘a stretch’ to say that grabbing women by their genitals, without consent, constituted sexual assault.
 
“Senator Sessions’ record on anti-discrimination protections, voting rights, immigrants’ rights, policing, government surveillance and more demonstrates that he is in no way qualified to head the federal agency charged with protecting and advancing justice for all children, families and people in this country.
  
“At this moment, and at every moment, the lawmakers who represent us should be showing our children that our nation stands up for the rights of every person to live, work, love and thrive. This confirmation undermines that message and thwarts basic fairness in this country. It was a triumph of partisan politics over the best interests of the country and a huge disservice to our nation.”
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.