The Senate on Thursday approved Loretta Lynch to be attorney general. The United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York will be the first African-American woman to hold the top Justice Department position. She was confirmed 56 to 43 more than five months after she was nominated by President Barack Obama.

“I am delighted that Loretta Lynch finally was confirmed by the Senate,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders. “I look forward to working with her as the attorney general and I congratulate Sen. Patrick Leahy for all the work he did to help steer the nomination through the Senate confirmation process.  I was disappointed that it took more than five months for her nomination to be confirmed. The fact that it took more time to confirm her than all but two other attorneys general in history is more evidence of the unprecedented level of Republican obstructionism.”