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Report: Biden to pick Merrick Garland for AG
President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Judge Merrick Garland to serve as United States attorney general, two people familiar with knowledge of the decision told Politico in a report published Wednesday afternoon.
Garland, a political moderate, is most well known for being President Barack Obama’s pick in 2016 to replace Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia after he passed away. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), however, blocked confirmation hearings on Garland’s nomination, holding out until President Donald Trump was elected later that year in November.
Ultimately, Trump successfully appointed Neil Gorsuch, an originalist, to the Supreme Court, followed by two other originalist justices: Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. These appointments will most certainly leave conservatives with a strong grip on the court for the decades after Trump soon leaves office.
Depending on if Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff beats Sen. David Perdue (R) in his Senate runoff election in Georgia, which Ossoff is overwhelmingly favored to win, Democrats will gain a majority in the upper chamber, with control over 50 of the 100 seats in the upper chamber and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote. If Republicans unexpectedly maintain their Senate majority, Garland, a source of ire for conservatives, would likely have a brutal confirmation process.
Garland, who has been serving as the chief judge on the crucial United States Court of Appeals in D.C., will head the U.S. Department of Justice if successfully confirmed by the U.S. Senate, beating out Alabama Sen. Doug Jones (D) and former deputy attorney general Sally Yates for Biden’s nomination. No replacement for Garland on the appellate court has been announced.
Politico reports that, in a GOP-controlled Senate, Jones was seen as the easiest person to get confirmed because of his strong relationships with Republicans. Meanwhile, the report says that Garland was accordingly viewed as a risk because of a foreseen challenge of confirming a replacement for him on the D.C. appellate court.
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas filibustered his way around every question posed by lawmakers and refused to admit there is a crisis at the United States southern border when pressed by Senators.
In contrast, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) Chief Raul Ortiz stated emphatically that the United States had “no operational control” of its border with Mexico when asked by House members at a border hearing earlier this month. Fox News contributor and Investigative columnist Sara Carter attended the House Homeland Security Committee’s field hearing in south Texas. At the hearing, Ortiz also said that the porous border “represents challenges, and in some areas, a crisis situation.”
Mayorkas’ refusal to admit what is happening at the border has many Border Patrol agents infuriated with the administration.
Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council Chris Cabrera told this reporter Wednesday, that Mayorkas’ refusal to answer wether or not there is a crisis is not only disingenuous but risks the safety of the U.S. and agents hired to protect the nation.
“He should be ashamed of himself for not answering,” said Cabrera. “Does he think that if he doesn’t answer, the problem isn’t there? Of course, there is a crisis on the border. We are seeing numbers higher that I have seen in my 21 years as an agent. Unfortunately, I don’t see this crisis going away anytime soon.”
Shortly after Ortiz spoke to lawmakers in early March, Carter, who was joined by Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez, spoke on Sean Hannity’s radio show . Carter stated on Wednesday, that Mayorkas’ testimony directly contradicts Ortiz.
“It’s shameful how DHS Secretary Mayorkas lies to the public and lawmakers,” said Carter. “There is no doubt that there is a crisis at the Southern border and the situation is culminating into a national security crisis. More than 1 million known got-aways are in this country and we have no idea who they are and what their intentions might be. Terrorists have been apprehended at the border, children are dying that are being trafficked and our own children face a Fentanyl crisis, that is nothing short of poisoning and killing our citizens. Mayorkas needs to resign. He is a liar.”
No, @SecMayorkas, the spike in illegal immigration is because of your and President Biden's intentional neglect of border security. @tedcruz is right, your answer is outright laughable and a betrayal of your duties to the American people. #ImpeachMayorkas pic.twitter.com/9KRGBSIB2Q
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) March 29, 2023
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas lashed out at Secretary Mayorkas’ handling of the border crisis.
“Mr. Secretary, I want to say to you right now, your behavior is disgraceful. And the deaths, the children assaulted, the children raped, they are at your feet. And if you had integrity, you would resign,” said Cruz.
The powerful Texas Senator continued to unleash on Mayorkas, “the men and women of the Border Patrol, they’ve never had a political leader undermine them. They despise you, Mr. Secretary, because you’re willing to let children be raped to follow political orders. This is a crisis. It’s a disgrace. And you won’t even admit this human tragedy as it is crisis.”
Asked if their are any new developments at the U.S. border with Mexico, Cabrera said, “we are experiencing an influx of Chinese Nationals.” He expressed that “the real issue is going to be the ending of Title 42. Does the agency have a plan in place for the removal of Title 42?”
SaraACarter.com reached out to the DHS’ Office of Public Affairs, MediaInquiry@hq.dhs.gov, asking if their is a plan in the works when title 42 comes to an end but has yet to receive a response.
You can follow Alexander Carter on Twitter @AlexCarterDC
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