(Washington) Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder Jr. faced tough questioning Thursday by the Senate Justice Committee over his role in the pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich during the waning days of the Clinton Presidency.

Holder told senators Tuesday that that he regrets not studying the proposed pardon more before discussing it with President Bill Clinton. At the time, Holder said he was neutral, leaning toward supporting the pardon. But in hindsight he said he should have consulted with prosecutors and studied the issue more closely before making that statement.

Holder was appointed by President Clinton to Deputy Attorney General in 1997.  He has a strong LGBT rights record.

His nomination has the support of major civil rights groups including the Human Rights Campaign, the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza, and the National Women’s Law Center.

In a 1999 appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, Holder called for LGBT inclusion in federal hate crime law, noting that currently the law “provides no coverage whatsoever for violent hate crimes committed because of bias based on the victim’s sexual orientation, gender or disability, and these crimes pose a serious problem for our nation.”

While Holder’s confirmation hearing was underway before the Judiciary Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was voting overwhelmingly for Hillary Rodham Clinton to become the next secretary of state.

The 16-1 approval by the committee paves the way for a full Senate vote after President-elect Barack Obama takes office on Jan. 20.

During her confirmation hearing earlier this week ,Clinton said that if confirmed as Secretary of State she would review policies to see what could be changed to assist LGBT personnel at the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and other foreign affairs agencies. 

U.S. Foreign Service personnel – as well as civil service and contract employees – are required to serve a large portion of their careers at U.S. embassies and missions overseas.  However, the partners of LGBT personnel receive no assistance while accompanying employees on these mandatory assignments.  

Among many other obstacles, LGBT partners lack access to affordable health insurance coverage and resources for moving abroad.  

During overseas tours, employees’ partners do not receive assistance in obtaining a visa and lack access to employment opportunities, emergency evacuation, and embassy medical units, which all afforded to married heterosexual couples.