The elected US President Joe Biden wants the renowned judge Merrick Garland to be his attorney general. The future US head of government announced this today, confirming yesterday’s media reports. Garland’s deputy is said to be public prosecutor Lisa Monaco.
Former US President Barack Obama nominated Garland as a Supreme Court Justice in 2016, but the Republicans in the Senate blocked his appointment. Garland, 68, is currently a federal judge in the capital, Washington.
The Senate must also approve Biden’s cabinet members. Garland’s candidacy is likely to meet with broad approval, especially since he is considered a relatively independent and apolitical judge. Many left Democrats had urged Biden to choose a more political candidate for the Justice Department.
After President Donald Trump’s term in office, they are hoping for a leadership of the Justice Department that would campaign aggressively to strengthen civil rights and to combat racism. Biden is to be sworn in as the new president on January 20th.
