Blumenthal Urges Sessions to Respect Longstanding Precedent and Recuse Himself from Voting on His Own Nomination

Press Release

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote to U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) today to urge him to recuse himself from voting on his own confirmation. In a letter to President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to serve as the Attorney General, Blumenthal also called on him to recuse himself from voting on the confirmation of his potential Cabinet colleagues.

"If confirmed as Attorney General, you will serve as the nation's most powerful law enforcement official, responsible for administering the law impartially and fairly, faithful to the Constitution above partisan or personal interest," Blumenthal wrote. "Public confidence and trust in the administration of justice is indispensable. Your decisions will be held to the highest standard and should be unclouded by personal bias or conflict of interest -- and that approach starts with the Senate confirmation process."

Only six sitting senators have been nominated and confirmed as department heads -- including Attorney General -- since 1960. None of them cast a recorded vote on their own nomination.

Source