Harry Reid Says He’ll Force A Vote On Loretta Lynch If GOP Doesn’t Act ‘Very, Very Soon’

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday that if Republicans don’t schedule a confirmation vote soon for U.S. attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch, he’ll do it himself.

“I know parliamentary procedure around here and we’re going to put up with this for a little while longer, but not much,” Reid said in an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. “Absolutely we can force votes. If we don’t get something done soon, I will force a vote.”

Lynch has been waiting for more than five months for a vote — far longer than any of her recent predecessors. Most recently, GOP leaders have tied her confirmation vote to the passage of an unrelated sex trafficking bill that’s hit a snag. That bill isn’t moving, so neither is Lynch.

Democrats appear to be reaching their breaking point. Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Josh Earnest lashed out at Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for suggesting it was Democrats’ fault that Lynch hasn’t moved. And Reid said that he’s warned his GOP colleagues that things are about to get messy if they don’t act on Lynch.

“I had a conversation today with a number of Republicans and told them really to get her done, or I will make sure they will have an opportunity to vote against her,” he told Maddow.

Reid’s office explained how, exactly, he could force a vote on Lynch.

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