Senate Confirmation Hearings Begin for Trump Attorney General Nominee |

Sen. Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, is expected to outline his conservative priorities for the Justice Department in two days of confirmation hearings that opened Tuesday. In his opening statement released before the hearing, he says the office of attorney general "is not a political position" and anyone who holds it must be faithful to laws and the Constitution.

The Alabama senator says he understands the history of civil rights "and the horrendous impact that relentless and systemic discrimination and the denial of voting rights has had on our African-American brothers and sisters."

Democrats have questioned Sessions' record on civil rights and whether he would be able to be independent of Trump's administration. They also are likely to press him on his hard-line stance on immigration policy.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley says fellow Sen. Jeff Sessions "is a man of honor and integrity, dedicated to the faithful and fair enforcement of the law."

Sessions is a member of the Judiciary panel. Democrats on the committee have expressed concerns about whether the Alabama Republican can be non-political in his role as the nation's top law enforcement officer.

Grassley says Sessions is a man "who knows well and deeply respects" the role of the Department of Justice. He noted that Sessions questioned previous attorney general nominees on whether they could be independent.

Like Sessions has previously, Grassley criticized the Obama administration for not enforcing some criminal and immigration laws.

Meanwhile, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, says she wants to evaluate whether President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general can enforce laws that he voted against.

In her opening statement at the confirmation hearing for Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Feinstein said "there is so much fear in this country," particularly among African Americans. She noted Sessions has in the past voted against hate-crimes legislation.

She said the role of attorney general is "an awesome responsibility" and said his job will be to enforce the laws, rather than to advocate his beliefs.

She noted that Trump said during the campaign that he would direct the attorney general to investigate his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

"That's not what an attorney general does," Feinstein said.