The Senate voted 70-30 on Wednesday to confirm Judge Merrick Garland as U.S. attorney general.
Why it matters: Garland takes over the Justice Department after a tumultuous four years under former President Trump, who frequently sought to politicize the law enforcement agency. The former Supreme Court nominee has pledged to make prosecuting the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists a top priority for the Justice Department.
- Garland told the Senate Judiciary Committee last month that he will “supervise the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol,” as he did as a federal prosecutor investigating the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
- The Justice Department is also overseeing an investigation into the business affairs of President Biden’s son, Hunter. Garland testified that he hasn’t spoken to the president about the issue. Continue reading.