Merrick Garland testifies before Senate in bid to become AG

President Biden’s Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee — kicking off two days of questioning as he vies to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer.

“If I am confirmed, serving as Attorney General will be the culmination of a career I have dedicated to ensuring that the laws of our country are fairly and faithfully enforced, and that the rights of all Americans are protected,” the DC circuit court judge is telling the committee Monday morning in his opening. statement.

Garland also revealed his plans to launch an investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

“If confirmed, I will supervise the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on January 6 — a heinous attack that sought to disrupt a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government​,” Garland says.

Judge Merrick Garland arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be US Attorney General on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 22, 2021.

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Judge Merrick Garland, center, nominee to be Attorney General, speaks with ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, left, and committee chairman Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. on Feb. 22, 2021.

AP

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., holds the gavel prior to presiding over a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to be U.S. Attorney General, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021.

AP

Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s pick to be attorney general, arrives on Capitol Hill for his confirmation hearing,, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021.

AP

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Garland did not address the nursing home scandal embroiling New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo or concerns about Biden’s son Hunter and his dealings with foreign entities and officials in his opening remarks, though he will undoubtedly face questions on the issues from Republican lawmakers on the panel.