Jessie Liu was the first woman President Donald Trump nominated to become a U.S. Attorney, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions abruptly and en masse fired all U.S. Attorneys in 2017.
Now the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Liu was President Trump’s nominee to replace Rachel Brand, the first woman to serve as Associate U.S. Attorney General. Brand left the DOJ in February of 2018 and the office, like many in the Trump administration, has remained vacant since.
But now Liu has pulled her name from consideration after far right wing extremist U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) (photo) reportedly got into a “shouting match” with Attorney General William Barr, according to NPR. Senator Lee, who strongly opposes women’s reproductive rights, felt Liu was not sufficiently anti-abortion.
“The reasons are apparently a mix of ‘not hating abortion enough’ and opposing Samuel Alito’s Supreme Court confirmation,” is how Splinter described the decision to pull her name.
The Associate Attorney General is not supposed to imprint their personal values on decisions the Dept. of Justice makes.
“Interest groups had begun drafting letters to senators about their fears that Liu would not support restrictions on abortion,” NPR explains.
Abortion is legal and has been deemed a civil right under the U.S. Constitution.
“Another key factor: Earlier in her career, Liu had an affiliation with the National Association of Women Lawyers, which sent a letter opposing the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.”
Again, abortion is legal and has been deemed a civil right under the U.S. Constitution.
Liu is one of just ten women who serve as U.S Attorneys. The remaining 83 are men. As a woman and as an Asian-American, she would have brought much-needed diversity to the DOJ.
Her actual position on abortion is not publicly known.
The position remains open.
Oh. And by the way, if the name “Mike Lee” sounds familiar, this is Senator Lee earlier this week:
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