Merrick Garland has been confirmed as attorney general. Here’s what his role will be as a high-ranking member of Biden’s cabinet.
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The Senate confirmed attorney general nominee Merrick Garland Wednesday in a strong bi-partisan 70-30 vote, sending the federal appeals court judge to the Justice Department where he has pledged to shield the agency from politics and make the sprawling investigation into the deadly Capitol assault his “first priority.”
The vote margin was the largest for an attorney general since Eric Holder, who secured 75 votes when he was confirmed as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer in the Obama administration.
Garland, who last served as a Justice Department official in the Clinton administration, was met with little Republican resistance during his confirmation hearing this month, with some lauding the nominee as “a very good pick” to lead a department roiled by politics during the Trump administration.
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