Republican senators hammered President Obama’s nominee, Debo Adegbile to be an assistant attorney general.
The Senate will vote Wednesday afternoon on whether to end debate on Adegbile's nomination, which will require only 51 votes.
Abu-Jamal was convicted and sentenced to death for killing a Philadelphia police officer by shooting him several times at point-blank range. But the NAACP argued that the case and sentence were racially motivated and Abu-Jamal is no longer on death row.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said Adegbile is “unfit to serve” because of his role in defending a “coldblooded cop killer.”
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“This nominee is not suited for the position,” Flake said. “I believe we would not be considering his nomination if the Majority had not deployed the nuclear option.”
Some Democrats who face tough reelections in November might oppose Adegbile’s nomination. Police organizations, such as the Fraternal Order of Police, also opposed the nomination.