WASHINGTON
The Senate confirmed Loretta Lynch as attorney general Thursday, the first black woman to hold the country's top law enforcement position.
Lynch, 55, a federal prosecutor from New York was approved by a 56-43 vote.
Obama released a statement and describing Lynch as a "tough, independent, and well-respected prosecutor."
"Today, the Senate finally confirmed Loretta Lynch to be America’s next attorney general – and America will be better off for it," he said.
"Loretta has spent her life fighting for the fair and equal justice that is the foundation of our democracy," the statement said, while noting that as the head of the Justice Department, she will be tackling a vast portfolio of cases, including counterterrorism and voting rights.
Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder also released a statement. She is “is a gifted attorney, a consummate professional, and a dedicated public servant," he said.
"She will continue the vital work that this administration has set in motion and leave her own innovative mark on the department in which we have both been privileged to serve," Holder said.
Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. Ted Cruz, was quick to criticize Lynch in her new position, saying that she was "unsuitable" for her new position and that she would disregard the Constitution.
"I wanted to see a new attorney general who would be faithful to law, but her answers made that impossible," Cruz said during Lynch's confirmation hearing.
Lynch’s nomination was delayed since November because of a partisan fight between the White House and Republican lawmakers about Obama’s executive actions to limit the deportations for millions of undocumented immigrants.
Republicans voiced strong opposition to Lynch's support of the president’s stance on immigration issues.
Unlike Cruz, Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte was more conciliatory following Lynch’s confirmation. "While I continue to have concerns with President Obama's unilateral immigration actions, I have received written assurance from Ms. Lynch that she will respect both the current court injunction barring implementation of the president's November 2014 executive action as well as whatever final decision results from the federal judicial system's review process," she said.
Lynch earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and American literature from Harvard College in 1981 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1984.
