Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba sharply criticized two Republican senators on Sunday during a Fox News interview, accusing them of blocking her confirmation process while she continues to serve in the role.
Habba currently oversees several major cases, including a high-profile prosecution of Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), who faces charges for allegedly assaulting a federal officer. Her path to confirmation, however, has been complicated by legal and political hurdles since assuming the interim post earlier this year.
New Jersey’s two Democratic senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, are using the Senate’s traditional “blue slip” process to hold up a confirmation vote on Habba in the full Senate. In an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Habba also blasted Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who are also serving as obstacles to her full confirmation.
“Thom Tillis, a member of the Judiciary Committee, has stated publicly that if Chairman Grassley tried moving a district judge or US attorney through the Judiciary Committee without a blue slip, he would oppose that nominee,” Bartiromo noted during the interview. She also said Tillis’ opposition, as well as that of Grassley, automatically aligns with Democrats.
“You know, they’re trying to look at this as they all need to get along to go along, but they’re not looking at what this does,” Habba said. “The president was rightfully voted in by a majority of Americans, and he is entitled to pick his U.S. attorneys, his Department of Justice officials, his judges, so that we can continue the agenda that the American public voted for, which is to get rid of crime.”
She described the opposition from the Senate as politically motivated rather than based on her qualifications, performance, or the needs of New Jersey residents. “The truth is, it has nothing to do with the work that we’re doing. It has nothing to do with the crime that we’re stopping. It has to do with trying to prevent President Trump from continuing his agenda, and it has to stop,” she said.
