Legislation introduced in response to U.S. attorney appointments

Friday, Jan 12, 2007

By Aaron Sadler
Stephens Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - Days after the attorney general named a former White House official to serve an interim U.S. attorney in Little Rock, Sen. Mark Pryor added his name Thursday to a bill to restrict the attorney general's appointment power.

Pryor, D-Ark., joined Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in introducing legislation to change a provision of the Patriot Act that allows for indefinite appointments without Senate confirmation.

The senators said the law circumvents the traditional process of Senate consent of executive branch appointments.