President Obama won’t be announcing a nominee to replace Eric Holder as attorney general anytime soon, the White House said Friday.
White House Communications Director Jen Palmieri said a decision about filling the Cabinet position isn’t imminent but cautioned that does not mean the position will remain open until the next Congress.
{mosads}”Oh, no, I didn’t mean that,” she said on MSNBC. “I just mean we’re not … I wouldn’t expect an announcement very shortly.”
She said the administration is putting an emphasis on individuals with a commitment to civil rights.
“I think what he thinks about in terms of an attorney general is someone who is very committed to civil rights, very committed to executing on the letter of the law, someone with a lot of integrity, and, you know, someone who is always keeping in mind the people that, particularly in the civil rights era, these laws were designed to protect,” she said. “But I think that we’re a while away from being able to — from him making the choice.”
Holder announced his resignation Thursday, but he will remain in office until a replacement is confirmed. The Senate is not expected to reconvene until after the midterm elections in November, and some Republicans have called to delay any vote until the next Congress.
New rules established this session in the Senate require only a majority vote — rather than 60 votes — to get most nominees confirmed.