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“Delaying Judge Garland’s hearing jeopardizes our national security,” Durbin wrote. “The Attorney General oversees a multitude of components and agencies of the Ministry of Justice which are essential to protect the homeland against both foreign and domestic threats.”
Durbin said that while his committee staff worked with his Republican counterparts to plan Garland’s hearing, they have now encountered “obstacles that are unnecessarily delaying” his confirmation.
Durbin added that he was “ready to take further steps to expedite the Senate’s consideration of Judge Garland’s appointment if his hearing does not take place on February 8” in the absence of cooperation from the GOP.
Biden told committee staff on Jan.6 that he planned to appoint Garland as attorney general. Garland is the former Chief Justice of the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. He was also President Barack Obama’s choice for the Supreme Court in 2016, but his nomination was blocked by the GOP-controlled Senate.
The Senate Judiciary Committee received the documents from Garland last week. Typically, the committee has 28 days between receipt of a candidate’s documents and the confirmation hearing. But Durbin recently told reporters he was trying to come to an agreement with Republicans to shorten the deadline.
In his letter on Monday, Durbin argued that a hearing on February 8 “gives ample time to review Judge Garland’s case,” and added that it would take place 13 days after the Committee received the documents, “The same amount of time between then-judge Amy Coney Barrett’s reception [committee questionnaire] and his Supreme Court appointment hearing.
Confirmation hearings with attorneys general recently lasted two days, with the candidate testifying on the first day and outside experts testifying on the second.
Once the Senate approves the organizational resolution, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) will become the senior Republican on the committee.
Spokesmen for Graham and Grassley did not immediately comment.
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