- Judge Merrick Garland gasped as he explained his motivation for being a public servant.
- At his confirmation hearing for the attorney general, Garland spoke about how his family fled anti-Semitism.
- “The country has welcomed and protected us, and I feel an obligation to the country to reciprocate,” he said.
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US appeals court judge Merrick Garland on Monday gasped and was thrilled to discuss his motivation to be a public servant.
At Garland’s confirmation hearing for attorney general before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey asked the judge to talk about why he wanted to serve in office.
“One thing you said to me in particular motivated me to believe you when you talk about your aspirations,” said Booker. “I’m wondering if you can just conclude by talking – answering the question about your motivation and perhaps a little bit of your own family history in confronting hate and discrimination in American history.”
“Yes, Senator,” said Garland, before pausing.
“I come from a family where my grandparents fled anti-Semitism and persecution,” he continued as he wept. “The country has welcomed and protected us, and I feel an obligation to the country to give back, and this is the best use of my own skill set to give back.”
Garland added, “So I really want to be the type of attorney general you are saying that I could become. I will do my best to try to be that type of attorney general.”
See the exchange below:
—Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) February 22, 2021
President Joe Biden appointed Garland to serve as attorney general on January 7, saying in a statement that Garland and other DOJ nominees reflected Biden’s “deep commitment to reaffirming the Department of Justice as a pillar of independence and integrity, and ensure that the attorney general and his senior leadership team are the lawyers of the American people – not the president’s law firm. “
It was a remarkable development for Garland, who made headlines after the Republican-controlled Senate in 2016 blocked his nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court.
At her confirmation hearing on Monday, Garland expressed a commitment to ensure that the DOJ enforces the rule of law so that “the laws of our country are applied fairly and faithfully and that the rights of all Americans are protected” .
President Donald Trump was often criticized for using the Department of Justice as a shield for himself and a sword against his enemies. He once said that he had “the absolute right to do whatever I wanted” with the department, leading to the collapse of the institution’s traditional independence from the White House. Trump’s actions were frequently triggered by Attorney General William Barr, who took extraordinary steps while leading the department to protect all of the president’s men.
After winning the 2020 election, Biden vowed to restore public independence and trust in the Department of Justice and U.S. intelligence agencies. To that end, he said he would not encourage investigations into Trump or other political opponents, but that he would also not be in the way if the FBI or the Department of Justice undertakes them.
“I’m not going to tell them what they have to do and what they don’t have to do. I’m not going to say, ‘Look for A, B or C’,” Biden told CNN in a recent interview, adding, “It’s not my Department. of Justice. It’s the people’s Justice Department. “