Risch to Dems: ‘Sit Down, Shut Up’ on Trafficking Bill if You Want Lynch Vote

Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) told Democrats who want a vote on Loretta Lynch’s confirmation to “sit down, shut up” on the human trafficking bill on Friday’s “Situation Room” on CNN.

“What is on the floor of the United States Senate right now is a human trafficking bill that the Democrats support. They voted for it unanimously in committee, and now they’re filibustering the bill. Once that filibuster’s over, we’re going to vote on that bill, up or down, and the very next moment there’s going to be a vote on the Attorney General nominee. But why they’re doing this is absolutely beyond me. I’m surprised somebody in the media hasn’t asked for a clear explanation from the Democrats why they’re filibustering a bill that they want and is also standing in the way of getting to the vote on the Attorney General nominee. I don’t get it. I don’t understand it” he said. And “all they got do is sit down, shut up and call the roll, and the next vote’s going to be the Attorney General vote.”

Risch added that the language in the bill Democrats object to “was in there when they all voted for it unanimously, and the language is identical to the language that is in every appropriation bill that they always support, that’s a phony excuse.”

Risch also said of Lynch, “I will not vote for her, and my reason is very clear. I disagree vehemently with her view of what the president can do by executive action. However, she is going to be confirmed. All Democrats are going to vote for her, and there are enough Republicans that are going to vote for her that are going to confirm her. What we need to do is get on with it, and get it done, get it behind us, and move on.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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