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Factsheet on Jeff Sessions

January 9, 2017 Guides & Reports

On November 18th, President-elect Donald Trump selected Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) as his nominee to become the attorney general of the United States. A key responsibility of the attorney general is to oversee the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws and upholding the U.S. Constitution.

The attorney general also plays a significant role in immigration enforcement and adjudication, including setting policy, through the oversight of the immigration court system and the appointment of immigration judges.

Senator Sessions has opposed civil rights legislation and led anti-immigrant efforts throughout his Senate career. His record of disenfranchising and denying the rights of people of color, immigrants, and Muslim communities, as well as his overtly racist statements made during his career as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, make him unfit for the position of attorney general of the United States.

The attached fact sheet provides a detailed account of why Senator Jeff Sessions is unfit to serve as U.S. attorney general.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a confirmation hearing for Sessions’ nomination on January 10th and 11th. Senator Sessions has submitted a woefully incomplete set of responses to the required committee questionnaire. The hearing should be delayed until Sessions has fully responded to the questionnaire.

We ask that you take action by making calls (877-959-6082) today to tell your Senators to #StopSessions from becoming the next U.S. attorney general.

Sample call text:

Hi, my name is ____________ and I’m a constituent of Senator _________. I want Senator _________ to oppose the nomination Jeff Sessions for Attorney General.

I also want Senator _______ to demand that Sessions’ confirmation hearing be delayed until Senator Sessions has submitted his full record for review. We have a right to know all relevant information before he is considered for this important position.