Garland was confirmed with a 70-30 vote.
The former chief justice of the American Court of Appeal for the DC Circuit was praised by members of both parties. He pledged in his nomination hearing last month to ‘repel any attempt by anyone’ to politically influence the Justice Department’s investigations, and that his first priority would be to address the ‘heinous’ crimes committed in the attack on to fully prosecute the U.S. Capitol in January. 6.
“America can breathe a sigh of relief that we will eventually lead someone like Merrick Garland who leads the Department of Justice,” said Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat. He calls Garland “someone with integrity, independence, respect for the rule of law and credibility on both sides of the aisle.”
“The president has made it clear in every public statement before and after my appointment that decisions on investigations and prosecutions will be left to the Department of Justice,” Garland said. “That was the reason I was willing to take on this job.”
In March 2016, then-President Barack Obama nominated Garland to serve as a judge in the Supreme Court. The then leader of the majority of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, and the Republicans of the Senate blocked his nomination, claiming that the public should vote for the next president to decide the lifelong appointment. But in September 2020, then-President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett in the Supreme Court. And on October 26, about a week before election day, she was confirmed by the Republican – controlled Senate.
McConnell said he voted to confirm Garland’s appointment as attorney general ‘because of his long-standing reputation as a judge and jurist’, citing his ‘left-of-center perspective’ within ‘the legal mainstream’.
McConnell said he had discussed with Garland the federal investigation into the Capitol riot to stop Congress’ certification of the 2020 election and that law enforcement should continue the work to identify those who violate the law. to take and prosecute. He urged Garland to treat “the political violence” of the Left “with equal seriousness”, and also to oppose the efforts of the Biden government to attack Congress and use its executive power to run programs such as DACA to create.
“Once confirmed, Judge Garland may not support other constitutional corrosive efforts to repeal laws effectively simply by ignoring them,” McConnell said.
Before becoming a judge, Garland served under President Bill Clinton’s Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick and led the Justice Department’s investigation into the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
“I come from a family where my grandparents fled anti-Semitism and persecution,” Garland said. “The country has taken us in and protected us. I feel an obligation to the country to repay.”
CNN’s Ted Barrett and Jeremy Herb contributed to this report.