国际英语新闻:U.S. Senate to vote on Lynch as attorney general: Republican

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate is preparing to approve Loretta Lynch as the country's next attorney general in the coming two or three days, an influential Republican revealed on Sunday.

Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee told cnn on "State of the Union " that he expects a deal to quickly come together this week to clear both Lynch and an anti-human trafficking law that Democrats have blocked due to an abortion-related provision.

"My sense is, over the next 48 or 72 hours, that is going to be resolved, and we will move on to this Iran issue," Corker, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on the TV program. "This logjam that you are talking about over this nominee likely will be worked out in the beginning part of this week once the human trafficking piece is worked out with it," he added.

Last month, U.S. President Barack Obama urged the Senate Republicans to vote on Loretta Lynch, asking them "stop playing politics with law enforcement and national security".

"You don't hold attorney general nominees hostage for other issues. This is our top law enforcement office," Obama said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier that a vote to confirm Lynch would be put off until members pass an anti-human- trafficking bill which has stalled because of an anti-abortion provision that Democrats oppose.

"This will have an impact on the timing of considering a new attorney general," McConnell said.

Obama nominated Lynch as U.S. attorney general last November. Attorney General Eric Holder will stay in office until Lynch is confirmed.