Senate Democrats are urging Sen. Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE (R-Ala.), President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE's choice to be attorney general, to recuse himself from voting to confirm other Cabinet nominees.

“There is at the very least an appearance of conflict of interest since he owes his job as attorney general to the same boss who has nominated these other Cabinet nominees,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told Politico. “The attorney general has to be an independent voice and prosecutor. He may be called upon to investigate, perhaps represent them in court. He ought to be strictly impartial.”

Another Democrat, Sen. Chris Coons Christopher (Chris) Andrew CoonsBiden promises Democratic senators help in battleground states Shakespeare Theatre Company goes virtual for 'Will on the Hill...or Won't They?' The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep MORE (Del.), told the news outlet that a Sessions recusal would be a show of goodwill for the Trump administration amid concerns of potential ethics violations.

“Given that Sen. Sessions endorsed President-elect Trump, campaigned vigorously and nationally, and presents as probably the Cabinet nominee most closely aligned with President-elect Trump [...] and given the number of ethical concerns that have already been raised about the Trump Cabinet, I think it would reflect well on both Sen. Sessions and the Trump administration were he to recuse himself,” Coons said

Sessions has said that he would abstain from voting on his own confirmation. If Sessions votes for Trump’s other nominees, Politico reports, it would be the first time a sitting senator nominated for a cabinet position has done so.

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Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn John CornynAirline job cuts loom in battleground states Senate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll MORE (R-Texas) told Politico that Sessions is entitled to vote on the other nominees’ confirmations because he is still a senator.

“My view is, as long as he hadn’t been confirmed as [attorney general], he’s still a U.S. senator with all the rights and privileges that pertain to that,” Cornyn said.

Sessions currently sits on the Senate Budget Committee, which will vote on Rep. Mick Mulvaney’s (R-S.C.) nomination for director of the Office of Budget and Management, as well as the Environmental and Public Works Committee, which must confirm Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Sessions’s confirmation on Jan. 24.

--This report was updated at 11:28 a.m.