Merrick Garland a federal appeals court judge and former Justice Department official whose 2016 nomination to the Supreme Cour
Merrick Garland, a federal appeals court judge and former Justice Department official whose 2016 nomination to the Supreme Court was blocked by Republicans, was confirmed Wednesday by the U.S. Senate as the nation’s top law enforcement official. Garland,68, a seasoned jurist and criminal investigator, was easily confirmed as the next attorney general – one of President Joe Biden’s most important cabinet appointments – on a bipartisan vote of 70 to 30. All the “no” votes were cast by Republican senators, including presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. Garland’s elevation to the top of the Justice Department is expected to lead to significant criminal justice policy changes under the Biden administration, from a potential moratorium on federal executions that resumed under former President Donald Trump, to closer scrutiny of police departments accused of violating civil rights. Garland is inheriting a massive law enforcement agency rife with controversy and morale problems after four tumultuous years under Trump at a time the Justice Department is conducting a wide-ranging investigation into the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. FILE – Pro-Trump protesters storm into the U.S. Capitol during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, January 6,2021. During his confirmation hearing last month, Garland said the investigation of the bloody insurrection, which has led to charges against more than 300 people, would be his top priority. The bipartisan support for Garland is in sharp contrast to the strictly partisan votes Trump’s two attorneys general – Jeff Sessions and William Barr – received. FILE – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky walks from the Senate floor to his office on Capitol Hill, Jan.6,2021. Prominent Republicans praised Garland’s appointment, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who blocked former President Barack Obama’s nomination of Garland to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court in 2016, arguing that it was too close to the presidential election. “I’m voting to confirm Judge Garland because of his long reputation as a straight-shooter and legal expert,” McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said before the vote. “His left-of-center perspective has been within the legal mainstream.” As attorney general, Garland will lead a department with more than 100,000 employees and a budget of more than $31 billion.
