US Attorney General Nominee Passes Senate Confirmation, Emphasizes 'Nonpartisanship'

Approved by an overwhelming margin... 70 votes in favor
Investigations needed for Biden's second son and Trump simultaneously
Emphasizing 'investigative independence' amid concerns of bias

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Merrick Garland, the nominee for U.S. Attorney General, has passed Senate confirmation by an overwhelming margin. From the moment of his appointment, Garland has attracted attention as he is expected to handle legal issues involving former and current presidents, including scandals related to President Joe Biden's son and former President Donald Trump. Garland himself emphasized his "nonpartisan" stance throughout the confirmation hearing, pledging to investigate current issues fairly without bias.

According to CNN and other foreign media on the 10th (local time), Garland passed Senate confirmation with a decisive vote of 70 in favor and 30 against. Considering that his predecessor, William Barr, received 54 votes in favor and 45 against, Garland secured strong bipartisan support. With his confirmation, the investigation into the U.S. Capitol riot that occurred last January is expected to gain momentum.

Even before his confirmation, Garland was the focus of attention in U.S. political circles. From the moment of his appointment, he faced the task of handling legal issues directly linked to the political careers of former and current presidents, including the Ukraine scandal involving President Biden's son, the Russia scandal involving former President Trump, and the Capitol riot.

Because of this, during the hearing, he repeatedly emphasized that "any effort to politically influence the Department of Justice's investigations will be blocked," underscoring his nonpartisan position. On the same day, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of the Democratic Party expressed high confidence in Garland's confirmation, calling him "a person trustworthy in integrity, independence, and the rule of law."

However, some Republican senators opposed his confirmation, citing a hostile relationship between Garland and the Republican Party and expressing concerns about potential biased investigations. Earlier, opposition from some Republicans, including Senator Tom Cotton, delayed the confirmation vote schedule somewhat. Previously, Garland was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2016 for a Supreme Court justice position, but the Republican-controlled Senate opposed him, delaying confirmation for nearly a year, and ultimately, the confirmation was canceled when President Trump took office the following year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.