"No one who has such an appalling record on civil rights should be our nation's Attorney General. While this crucial administration official is tasked with upholding our Constitution and defending the civil liberties of all Americans, Senator Sessions has built his career on undermining criminal justice, voting rights, LGBTQ rights, and women's rights -- causes for which the American Jewish community has fought for generations," said Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc Jewish Action. "Equally troubling, Sen. Sessions has yet to share all the information requested of him – and of every nominee for this position – with the Senate Judiciary Committee, including transcripts of speeches he gave to the far-right organization the David Horowitz Freedom Center. The American people deserve better and Sen. Sessions must be compelled to submit all the required materials so his record can be thoroughly examined by the United States Senate. Until then, we stand firmly with the dozens of civil rights organizations calling for the Senate Judiciary Committee to delay his hearing."

Sen. Jeff Sessions is an unacceptable choice for United States Attorney General. Sen. Sessions has called the Voting Rights Act "intrusive" and supported restrictive voter suppression laws. As a prosecutor, he conducted an investigation of voting rights activists that was so abusive that it produced national condemnation, and was cited in the historic decision by the Senate to reject his nomination to a federal judgeship. Sen. Sessions has also consistently opposed bipartisan proposals for criminal justice reform and has instead advocated for harsh, draconian mandatory minimum sentencing laws. In 2013, he even opposed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Sen. Sessions is just one of numerous troubling appointments named by the incoming Trump Administration. Last month, President-elect Trump chose former Breitbart News Executive Chair Steve Bannon, a purveyor of white nationalist rhetoric, to be his senior counselor and chief strategist.

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