President Barack Obama's choice for attorney general, Loretta Lynch, appeared before Senate Republicans for a confirmation hearing Wednesday.
She appeared to strike a different tone from Eric Holder, the attorney general she is set to replace.
Holder had a contentious relationship with congressional Republicans and was once held in contempt of Congress.
Lynch said she wants the Justice Department to have a better relationship with Congress.
New York Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand introduced her to the committee in what is the first of two sessions.
Among the hearing highlights, Lynch defended the controversial NSA surveillance program, repeatedly defended the legality of President Obama’s immigration policy and also alluded to the incidents in Ferguson and the death of Eric Garner on Staten Island.
“If confirmed as attorney general, one of my key priorities would be to strengthen the vital relationships between our courageous law enforcement personnel and all of the communities we serve,” said Lynch.
Lynch is the daughter of a North Carolina pastor who was active in the civil rights movement.
She has been the top prosecutor since 2010 for a district that includes Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island - a role she also held from 1999 to 2001.
If confirmed, she would be the nation’s first African-American woman to serve as attorney general.