Loretta Lynch, President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next attorney general, began a round of conversations with key senators in advance of her confirmation hearings that are expected to take place next year,
Politico reported.
She held individual sessions with her chief patron, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, as well as with Democratic senators Patrick Leahy, the outgoing Judiciary Committee chairman, Dick Durbin of Illinois, and Minnesota's Al Franken.
She also met with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who is expected to become the Judiciary Committee chairman in January when Republicans take over the chamber.
Schumer told reporters, "I haven't heard a single objection to Loretta Lynch in terms of her own professionalism, her own personality, her own life history. There's not been a single objection to Loretta and I hope that she will be approved, and approved quickly," according to Politico.
Republicans are expected to take advantage of Lynch's nomination to challenge Obama's use of executive orders on immigration.
Schumer said it would be "unfair to the nation, as well as to her" if Lynch's nomination were held "hostage" to that issue.
The administration cited a Justice Department brief in explaining the legal reasoning behind Obama's executive orders.
Lynch may also be asked about Ferguson. She has addressed the race issue and been involved in several highly charged cases involving the NYPD and the minority community.
"Frankly, the onus is on law enforcement because we are the ones who have taken the oath to protect and to serve the people of this city," Lynch said in 2000,
The New York Times reported.
Grassley said he was still studying Lynch's record. After Tuesday's brief meeting, he said only, "I think she's very friendly, very sincere," Politico reported.
Lynch, 55, has been the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York since 2010. She also held the job for 18 months toward the end of President Bill Clinton's administration.
Her meetings with senators will continue in the coming weeks. If confirmed, she would be the first black woman to serve as attorney general.
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