After one of the longest waits in decades the new attorney general is confirmed. On Thursday, Loretta Lynch became the first African-American woman to ever hold the title of attorney general.

But before the Senate could confirm her, Lynch had to move past a roadblock that came in the form of an anti-human trafficking bill. Essentially, the Republican Party refused to acknowledge her nomination until the bill was dealt with. According to the Washington Post, “The deadlock was broken after both parties agreed on language specifying that a victims’ fund established by the legislation would not be used for healthcare or medical services, and thus not for abortions.”

Many viewed the Republicans’ delay of Lynch’s hearing as a race and gender issue. In March, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-III.) said Republicans were making Lynch “sit in the back of the bus.” However, the Republican Party’s delay had nothing to do with race or gender. It was simply a tactic to ensure that Lynch is the type of person who has the power and ability to restore the nation’s faith in the justice system.

The reason for the wariness can be attributed to the actions of former attorney general Eric Holder, who had a very rocky relationship with the Republican Party. This caused concern over the type of leader Lynch will be, mostly because she has supported President Barack Obama’s authority in taking executive action on immigration, according to The Washington Post. The job of the attorney general is to serve as head of law enforcement of the U.S. “When reviewing a candidate to serve as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer, a full and fair confirmation process is always essential and its importance has only increased in light of the troubling abuses under the current Attorney General,” Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), the longest-serving member of the judiciary panel, said in a statement to The Washington Post.

The hesitation that the Republicans showed toward Lynch was because the executive actions taken by Obama regarding immigration have violated many fundamental Republican beliefs. The fact that Lynch had originally voiced support for those actions taken by the president made the Republicans unsure of what type of leader she might be. “I want to see what happens in the hearings,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said. “But certainly I’m supportive.” McCain is a very well known conservative Republican who represents a lot of the ideals held by his party. His sentiments sum up the qualms of the Republican Party regarding the confirmation of Lynch.

However, further evidence that the original disapproval of the Republican Party had nothing to do with race or gender can be found in the fact that Lynch met privately with many important Republicans to discuss her platform with them. Many of those she talked with found solitude in the meetings, and began to become more comfortable with the idea of her becoming the new attorney general. In addition, after Lynch’s confirmation hearing, many Republicans also decided that Lynch will be a fine leader. According to Politico, “Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) all said in interviews they have met with Lynch privately are inclined to vote in favor of her nomination,” which they ultimately did.

The true heart of this issue is that members of opposing parties should not be so quick to assume that the Republican Party’s vetting of a candidate for attorney general was racist or sexist. The real reason for the delayed hearing was simply to make sure that Lynch has what it takes to not only become the new attorney general, but to restore trust in the position itself.

Victoria Razzi is a freshman magazine journalism major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at vcrazzi@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @vrazzi.

Published on April 26, 2015 at 10:52 pm