{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-discusses-trump-nominee-for-us-attorney-general-", "Whitehouse Discusses Trump Nominee for U.S. Attorney General", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Sheldon Whitehouse", "W000802", "www.whitehouse.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.20.16\n\t\t\t Whitehouse Discusses Trump Nominee for U.S. Attorney General  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Rhode Islanders raise questions about Senator Sessions\u2019 record on civil rights, immigration\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Providence, RI \u2013 U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse yesterday brought together more than a dozen Rhode Islanders representing civil rights organizations, the legal community, government, and other constituencies to hear Rhode Islanders\u2019 thoughts about President-elect Trump\u2019s nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) for United States Attorney General.\u00a0 Whitehouse is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has scheduled a nomination hearing for Sessions on January 10 and 11.\r\n\u201cThe United States Attorney General is entrusted with protecting the civil liberties of every single American, regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation.\u00a0 The Attorney General must set aside personal beliefs to enforce the nation\u2019s laws, upholding all of the values enshrined in our Constitution that for centuries have made our country the beacon of the free world,\u201d said Whitehouse.\u00a0 \u201cHaving heard concerns about the President-elect\u2019s nominee for Attorney General from constituents of many backgrounds, I\u2019ll be looking to Senator Sessions to provide evidence he will protect the fundamental rights of all Rhode Islanders.\u201d\r\nParticipants raised questions about Sessions\u2019 record on civil rights, voting access, immigration, and criminal justice reform.\u00a0 Some around the table expressed concern about whether a Justice Department led by Sessions would be willing to remain independent from the Trump White House, as the Department is currently instructed to do.\u200e\r\n\u201cSenator Sessions\u2019 signature issue during his time in the Senate has been immigration, and it is an area where the Department of Justice has a great deal of enforcement discretion.\u00a0 We have every reason to believe that as Attorney General he will try to put into action the anti-immigrant agenda of the radical right,\u201d said Jared Goldstein, law professor at Roger Williams University School of Law.\u00a0 \u201cOn voting rights Senator Sessions has long peddled the discredited view that there is massive voting fraud, primarily by immigrants and members of minority communities.\u201d\r\n\u201cWith the rise in hate crimes against mosques and Muslims, it is frightening that Senator Sessions with his record on civil liberties is nominated for the highest law enforcement office in the country,\u201d said Hilmy Bakri, President of the Board of Trustees for the Islamic School of Rhode Island.\r\nYesterday\u2019s meeting at the Community College of Rhode Island\u2019s Providence Liston Campus was part of Whitehouse\u2019s ongoing outreach to gather local feedback on the President-elect\u2019s cabinet nominees.\u00a0 Constituents are encouraged to share thoughts about or questions for any of the President-elect\u2019s nominations with Whitehouse via his website, whitehouse.senate.gov, or by calling his office at (401) 453-5294.\r\n\u201cSenator Sessions is particularly unqualified to serve as our nation\u2019s lead attorney,\u201d said Rebecca Kislak, President of the Rhode Island National Organization for Women (RI NOW).\u00a0 \u201cHis history of racism, actions to suppress the African American vote in his home state of Alabama, and his votes against vulnerable communities, including immigrants, people of color, LGBT people and women raise serious concerns about his ability to carry out the duties of Attorney General of the United States.\u201d\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": 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