The US Senate has confirmed Merrick Garland as attorney general by a 70-30 vote. Twenty Republicans voted to confirm Garland along with every Democrat.
The vote took place Wednesday and Garland is now the United States’ chief law officer.
Here are the twenty Republican senators who voted to confirm Garland, in alphabetical order by last name:
Notable GOP senators who voted against Garland’s confirmation included Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Ben Sasse, Rick Scott, Tim Scott, Pat Toomey, and Tommy Tuberville. Nineteen more joined them to vote “nay” as well.
Big League Politics closely covered Merrick Garland during his confirmation hearings in late Feburary. First we posted about his refusal to say whether illegal border crossings should remain a crime:
His comments about the border came in response to a question from Sen. Josh Hawley at Garland’s confirmation hearing Monday.
“[I’d like to] talk a little bit more about the law enforcement challenges at the border, which I know a number of other members have brought up with you,” Hawley said. “Just a fundamental question: Do you believe that illegal entry at America’s borders should remain a crime?”
Garland responded as follows: “Well, I haven’t thought about that question. Uh, I just haven’t thought about that question. I think, you know, uh, the president has made clear that we are a country with borders and with a concern about national security. Um, I don’t know of a proposal to, uh, decriminalize but still make it unlawful to enter. I just don’t know the answer to that question. I haven’t thought about it.”
Then we wrote about Mitch McConnell’s statement that he would vote to confirm Garland, making the confirmation of the judge all but inevitable, as well Garland’s suggestion that getting rid of lawsuit protections for gun manufacturers does not violate the Second Amendment:
If Merrick Garland is nominated as Attorney General, the Second Amendment is in big trouble.
Based on his comments at a Senate hearing on February 22, 2021, Garland made a suggestion that the repeal of lawsuit protections for gun manufacturers is not unconstitutional.
AWR Hawkins of Breitbart News reminded his readers that President Joe Biden campaigned on a platform of repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which shielded lawful gun manufacturers from lawsuits.
Buckle up. Garland could be bad news for people like us. What were these twenty Republicans thinking?