Skip to main content
allpolitics.com
CNN TV
EDITIONS

Sen. Clinton comes out against Ashcroft, Norton nominations

NEW YORK -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, announced Monday she will vote against the Bush Cabinet nominations of John Ashcroft for attorney general and Gail Norton for interior secretary.

Of Ashcroft, a conservative Republican who lost a re-election bid in November, she told reporters, "His record and views place him on the distant shores of American jurisprudence. Justice demands vigorous enforcement of the law not vigorous subversion.

The former first lady, elected to the Senate in her first bid for public office, said she decided to vote against Norton, former state attorney general in Colorado, because her record indicates she would not sufficiently protect the environment and natural resources.

"Her failure to enforce clean air and clean water laws as a state attorney general, lead me to conclude that she will seek to limit, evade, and perhaps even subvert the tremendous responsibilities that reside in the office of the secretary of the interior," Sen. Clinton told reporters.

The Senate debate on Norton begins Monday. Mrs. Clinton said she would vote for New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd Whitman as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Elaine Chao, former Peace Corps director, as labor secretary.

Debate on those nominations also was scheduled Monday.

A committee vote on Ashcroft could come as early as Tuesday afternoon, with a full Senate vote expected Wednesday.

On another issue, Mrs. Clinton said that she and her husband accepted gifts during their eight years in office that were worth less than the previous Bush administration received in four years. The senator insisted that she and her husband complied with all laws that govern gift giving.



RELATED STORY:
For more US news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

RELATED SITES:
See related sites about US

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

 Search   





MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 













Back to the top