Merrick Garland, appointed by the attorney general, testified during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Washington, DC, on February 22, 2021.
Drew Angerer | Pool | Reuters
The Senate voted on Wednesday to confirm Merrick Garland as Attorney General, placing the former federal appeals judge and former Supreme Court judge in charge of a central agency for President Joe Biden’s domestic policy agenda.
The vote was 70-30.
Garland takes over as head of the Justice Department as the agency continues to investigate the January 6 rebellion on the United States Capitol, one of the largest polls in its history. Garland considers the inquiry to be his number one priority.
The Department of Justice will also be crucial in implementing Biden’s comprehensive plans for the enforcement of civil rights and criminal justice reform. The department is expected to make important decisions in the coming years regarding the regulation of the country’s largest technology companies, which some lawmakers are pushing to end.
Garland promised to defend the independence of the Justice Department during hearings before the judiciary committee last month. Biden made restoring the traditional distance between the department and political officials in the White House one of the top priorities.
“I would not have accepted this job if I thought that the policy would have some influence on the processes and investigations,” Garland told lawmakers at his hearing. He said he and Biden had not discussed an ongoing investigation into the tax affairs of Hunter Biden, the president’s son.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., applauded Garland’s nomination ahead of the vote on Wednesday.
“America can breathe a sigh of relief at finally having someone like Merrick Garland leading the Department of Justice. Someone with integrity, independence, respect for the rule of law and credibility on both sides of the corridor,” said Schumer. the Senate floor. “He understands that the attorney general’s job is to protect the rule of law, unlike President Trump’s previous attorney generals.”
Before Biden chose Garland to serve as attorney general, the center lawyer was appointed by former President Barack Obama to a seat on the Supreme Court in 2016 to replace the late judge Antonin Scalia. Republicans at the time controlled the Senate and refused to hold a hearing on his nomination.
Several other Justice Department nominees are still being considered by the Senate, including Vanita Gupta, Kristen Clarke and Lisa Monaco. Gupta and Monaco faced questions from senators on Tuesday.
Gupta, who headed the Justice Department’s civil rights division under the Obama administration, was nominated to become an associate attorney general. Clarke is appointed head of the civil rights division. Biden appointed Monaco to be assistant attorney general.
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