WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A civil rights group led by the Reverend Al Sharpton announced it will organize protests to put pressure on the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate to confirm career prosecutor Loretta Lynch to be the next attorney general.
Jacky Johnson, a spokeswoman for the New York-based National Action Network, said on Wednesday that the group would visit the offices of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell weekly and some activists plan to fast.
The nomination of Lynch, who would be the first African-American woman to head the U.S. Department of Justice, has been pending since last November. If confirmed by the Senate, she would replace retiring Attorney General Eric Holder.
Despite winning support from the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 12-8 on Feb. 26, Lynch's nomination by President Barack Obama has not moved forward.
McConnell has vowed to shelve a confirmation vote until Senate Democrats end a filibuster against a domestic human trafficking bill. Democrats say they support the legislation, except for an anti-abortion provision that was inserted by Republicans.
On Thursday, Sharpton will be in Washington to attend a prayer breakfast hosted by the city government. He will push for Lynch's confirmation during a speech there, the National Action Network said.