Washington, D.C. — Today, the Biden transition team announced that Judge Merrick Garland will be nominated to be U.S. attorney general. In response, Mara Rudman, executive vice president for Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Judge Garland will restore integrity to the office of the attorney general. He has been one of our nation’s most distinguished judges for more than two decades and served as a senior U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) official who prosecuted those responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing. Garland was overwhelmingly confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals with bipartisan support. He has shown a deep commitment to upholding the Constitution and the rule of law. Yesterday’s tragic events showed how essential such commitment is in moving our country forward. He will help restore the public’s trust in the DOJ and apply the law equally to everyone without fear or favor. His nomination serves as a signal that the Biden administration is committed to rolling back the partisanship that has defined the department over the past four years. As Garland has said, ‘Fidelity to the Constitution and the law has been the cornerstone of my professional life, and it is the hallmark of the kind of judge I have tried to be.’
Today, President-elect Joe Biden also announced several additional, key appointments to the DOJ. The new administration’s commitment to civil rights is clear in the selection of Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general and Kristen Clarke as assistant attorney general for civil rights. Furthermore, his choice of Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general brings in a leader with critical national security experience.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].