WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement after Judge Merrick Garland was confirmed as the next Attorney General of the United States by a bipartisan 70-30 vote:
“I welcome Merrick Garland’s confirmation to lead the U.S. Department of Justice as U.S. Attorney General. He is committed to using the full force of the Department to fight the alarming rise in hate crimes and domestic extremism we have seen throughout the country, including in the Pacific Northwest. He will also push to ensure that the DOJ is upholding the civil rights of all Americans and holding law enforcement agencies that aren’t, accountable.”