The Washington Free Beacon’s Ellison Barber discussed potential replacements for attorney general today following Eric Holder’s resignation earlier this week.
Barber told Fox News anchor Shannon Bream that it would prove difficult to replace Holder’s seat with a figure respected by both parties. In fact, several GOP senators including Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, already issued statements denouncing any nominee who would support an agenda similar to Holder’s.
Barber discussed whether President Obama would appoint a new attorney general during the lame-duck session, a move Republican members of the Judiciary Committee are against.
"You have statements from various members of the Judiciary Committee saying they want the president to be slow in this process and ideally wait until January to do it," Barber said.
Barber warned Republicans would see a nominee pushed through before January as an "abuse of power."
"You'll have a lot of Republicans, all of them, being very angry, but they also said that puts the nominee in a bad position because it starts them out on the wrong foot with Congress," Barber said.
When asked who she thought would be nominated to replace Holder, Barber replied, "Right now most people are saying Solicitor General Donald Vereli."
Attorney General Eric Holder resigned yesterday after six years as the nation's top law enforcement officer. He was the first African-American to hold the position.