With the change in Senate committee leadership things begin to move for the Biden Justice Department head confirmation and first day of work at the office….
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a confirmation hearing in two weeks for President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Justice Department, Merrick Garland.
The hearing, scheduled for Feb. 22 and 23, sets Garland up for a March 1 vote out of committee and comes after Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reached an agreement for the schedule.
“I’m pleased that we can announce that the Committee will be moving forward on a bipartisan basis,” Durbin said in a statement. “Judge Garland will serve the Justice Department and our country with honor and integrity. He is a consensus pick who should be confirmed swiftly on his merits.”
The date for Garland’s confirmation hearing had been in limbo, in part due to the weeks of negotiation between Senate leaders over an organizing resolution for governing the 50-50 chamber. Before the organizing resolution was adopted, Senate Republicans technically still held committee gavels….