[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 46 (Thursday, March 11, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1498-S1499]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CONFIRMATION OF MERRICK BRIAN GARLAND

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I rise today to voice my support for 
the President's nominee for Attorney General, Judge Merrick Garland, 
who is not only a fellow Marylander, but somebody I have known 
personally for many years. And I know that President Biden has picked a 
nominee with impeccable credentials and unimpeachable character. His 
experience stretches from the halls of the Justice Department to the 
chambers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia 
Circuit, and he embodies the decency, the impartiality, and the 
commitment to justice that our Nation deserves as the Attorney General 
of the United States. I am confident that Judge Garland will serve 
admirably and faithfully as the next Attorney General.
  The Nation already knows Merrick Garland because of his Supreme Court 
nomination and as the former Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
District of Columbia Circuit, where he earned a reputation as one of 
our Nation's finest and fairest jurists. But his tenure on the D.C. 
Circuit was just the most recent achievement in a life dedicated to 
serving the rule of law. After excelling at law school, Judge Garland 
clerked for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and then for the 
Supreme Court. He then rose through the ranks of a prominent law firm 
before jumping back into public service feet-first as a Federal 
prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office during the administration of 
President George Herbert Walker Bush and then later served as the 
Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of 
Justice.
  As a senior DOJ official, Judge Garland was tasked with overseeing 
the case of the Oklahoma City bombing, one of the deadliest domestic 
terrorist attacks in American history. It left 168 Americans dead and 
hundreds more injured. Merrick Garland brought a steady hand to an 
operation that involved massive amounts of evidence, pressure from the 
public, and a large team with diverse skills and backgrounds. With 
fidelity to the law and meticulous attention to detail and unrelenting 
focus, Merrick Garland helped bring the bomber, Timothy McVeigh, to 
justice. He has called this case the most important thing he has done 
in his life.
  Mr. Chairman, ranking member, and committee members, we are going to 
need his experience as we once again confront the rise of domestic 
terrorism, particularly in the wake of the horrific events of January 
6. And the next Attorney General must not only take on the rise of 
White supremacists and radical militia groups, but also ensure that 
justice is rendered equally and fairly by promoting and ensuring racial 
equity, rooting out discrimination in our criminal justice system, 
addressing police reform, and ensuring that we don't see a concerted 
effort to limit people's citizens' right to vote in the United States 
of America. As Justice Garland has himself stated, ensuring the rule of 
law and making real the promise of equal justice under the law are 
``the great principles upon which the Department of Justice was founded 
and for which it must always stand.'' Judge Garland has spent his 
career doing both, and I have no doubt he will honor that tradition as 
Attorney General.
  During Judge Garland's confirmation hearing his commitment to public 
service and ensuring equal justice were on display. He shared that he 
felt an obligation to payback our country for protecting and welcoming 
his grandparents who fled to the United States to escape anti-Semitism 
and persecution. He stated that serving as an Attorney General that 
combats injustice and discrimination would be ``the highest, best use 
of my own set of skills.''
  While his professional experiences have prepared him for this job, it 
is his character that makes him right for this moment. Should he be 
confirmed, Judge Garland will be charged with restoring credibility and 
independence to the Department of Justice, making it clear that the 
Department is not the political instrument of the White House. I know 
Merrick Garland is up to

[[Page S1499]]

the task. The lengthy list of testimonials speaking to his fairness and 
sound judgement span the political spectrum. He is respected by 
lawmakers, scholars, and lawyers of every legal persuasion and 
political philosophy. And on a personal note, I can attest to the fact 
that his brilliance is matched by his kindness. His many achievements 
have never gone to his head. He has always stayed humble and treated 
everyone with respect.
  It is for these reasons and many more that I was honored to vote for 
the President's nominee to serve as the next Attorney General of the 
United States, Judge Merrick Garland.

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