WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Civil rights leaders and activists launched a hunger strike to urge the US Senate to call a vote and confirm nominee Loretta Lynch as Attorney General of the United States, the US civil rights group National Action Network (NAN) announced on its website on Wednesday.
“Women civil rights leaders and NAN mount fasting campaign calling for a full Senate vote to confirm first African American female as country’s chief law enforcement officer,” the statement said.
The participants in the “Confirm Loretta Lynch Fast” campaign plan to refrain from eating for one day at a time until Lynch is confirmed. Each day, a new group of people will replace those who fasted the day before, according to NAN.
The civil rights activists said they will also start letter-writing and opinion-editorial campaigns, and will visit the US Congress to urge lawmakers to support Lynch’s nomination and encourage the Senate leadership to call a vote.
US President Barack Obama nominated Lynch for the Attorney General position on November 8, 2014. Lynch has been waiting for a vote to be confirmed longer than any other US Attorney General nominee in modern history.
Lynch currently serves as US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. If confirmed by the Senate, Lynch will be the first African-American woman to become US Attorney General.
