Harris will be sworn in as the US Senator on January 3, 2017.
Criticizing the decision of president-elect Donald Trump to appoint Senator Jeff Sessions as the attorney general of his administration, Indian American senator Kamala Harris said his policies lack support for core Department of Justice functions.
“In viewing the role of the US Attorney General through this lens, I have deep concerns about Senator Sessions’ nomination. Particularly, I am concerned with his support for policies that would undermine core Department of Justice functions and his views that are incompatible with constitutional guarantees,” Harris said in a statement.
The 51-year old senator, who is the first Indian American to be elected to the senate said, “Like all presidential nominees, Senator Sessions deserves a fair and thorough hearing by the Senate, and I look forward to actively engaging in that process.”
Kamala Harris, who was born to Indo-Jamaican parents, said that the she has been deeply concerned about the choices made by president-elect Donald Trump with regards to the nominations, particularly the nomination of Senator Sessions.
“Justice Robert Jackson, one of the most esteemed justices to serve on the Supreme Court, wrote of the US Department of Justice, ‘The prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America. His discretion is tremendous’,” she said.
“I know from my own career in law enforcement, civil rights, and the six years I have spent as California’s Attorney General how important this role is for our society. The Attorney General is the people’s lawyer, a public servant who is sworn to uphold the promise of equal protection under the law and to ensure the fair administration of justice for all,” Harris said.
Harris will be sworn in as the US Senator on January 3, 2017. She is a two term California Attorney General.