The U.S. Senate confirmed President Joe BIden's nominee Rachael Rollins as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, in a party-line vote Dec. 8 that had Vice President Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote in favor of Rollins.
The Senate reported on its website that all 50 Democrats voted in favor of and all 50 Republicans voted against the nominee.
Democrats praised the confirmation while Republicans spoke out against Rollins.
Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) released a joint statement in which they said they have “every confidence” that Rollins will continue her partnerships with law enforcement and members of the legal community to ensure the safety of the residents of Massachusetts.
“We were glad to recommend District Attorney Rachael Rollins to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, and today we are delighted that the Senate has voted to confirm her to the role," they wrote in the statement posted to their website.
Republicans opposed the Rollins nomination based on Rollins positions when she was a district attorney in Massachusetts. As Suffolk County District Attorney, Rollins published a list of lower-level crimes that the district attorney's office would not prosecute, such as trespassing, shoplifting and minor driving offenses. Leading Republicans have referred to this approach as "soft on crime."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) posted a statement on his website encouraging senators to vote against confirming Rollins. McConnell claimed in the statement that murder rates are rising nationwide, blaming the increase on the lax prosecution practices of "a network of liberal district attorneys," including Rollins.
"Ms. Rollins has spent years in her current job as a D.A. pushing the idea that the state should wipe entire categories of crimes off the list of things worth prosecuting," McConnell said in the statement.
"This soft-on-crime advocacy should have earned the nominee a pink slip," McConnell stated. "Instead, President Biden’s giving her a promotion."
He added, “Law-abiding Americans don’t want prosecutors who refuse to prosecute.”
As Suffolk County District Attorney, Rollins was released a report that included a comprehensive list of crimes her office wouldn't prosecute. She was stated in the report that there are other ways to “hold people accountable without putting them in jail," such as community service, restitution and job training.
