AL JAZEERA, 9Febuary2017 – The US Senate has confirmed Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general despite the fierce debate over his civil rights record and a push by Democrats to block him.
President Donald Trump’s choice was given the green light on Wednesday by a vote of 52-47.
Democrats, civil rights, and immigration groups have voiced alarm about Sessions’ record of controversial positions on race, immigration, and criminal justice reform.
Sessions, who is originally from Alabama, will serve as the 84th US attorney general. The 70-year-old was an early Trump supporter who became a pivotal figure in his campaign and transition team. He served as a prosecutor from 1981 to 1993 and won a seat in the Senate in 1996.