The Senate has confirmed Merrick Garland to be the next U.S. attorney general with a strong bipartisan vote, placing the widely-respected, veteran judge in the post as President Joe Biden has vowed to restore the Justice Department's reputation for independence.Democrats have praised Garland, a federal appeals court judge who was snubbed by Republicans for a seat on the Supreme Court in 2016, as a highly qualified and honorable jurist who is uniquely qualified to lead the department after a tumultuous four years under former President Donald Trump. Many Republicans praised him as well, saying he has the right record and temperament for the moment. The vote was 70-30.Garland will now inherit a Justice Department embattled by a turbulent era under Trump, who insisted that the attorney general must be loyal to him personally, a position that battered the department맥스카지노�s reputation. In the last month of Trump's presidency, Attorney General William Barr resigned after refuting Trump's false claims that widespread electoral fraud had led to his defeat.Trump's pressure on officials, including on Barr and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the department's probe into his campaign's ties to Russia, prompted abundant criticism from Democrats over what they saw as the politicizing of the nation맥스카지노�s top law enforcement agencies.맥스카지노�After Donald Trump spent four years 맥스카지노� four long years 맥스카지노� subverting the powers of the Justice Department for his own political benefit, treating the attorney general like his own personal defense lawyer, America can breathe a sigh of relief that we맥스카지노�re going to have someone like Merrick Garland leading the Justice Department,맥스카지노� said Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ahead of the vote. 맥스카지노�Someone with integrity, independence, respect for the rule of law and credibility on both sides of the aisle.맥스카지노�Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell 맥스카지노� who prevented Garland from becoming a Supreme Court Justice in 2016 when he blocked his nomination 맥스카지노� said he was voting to confirm Garland because of 맥스카지노�his long reputation as a straight shooter and a legal expert맥스카지노� and that his 맥스카지노�left-of-center perspective맥스카지노� was still within the legal mainstream.맥스카지노�Let맥스카지노�s hope our incoming attorney general applies that no-nonsense approach to the serious challenges facing the Department of Justice and our nation,맥스카지노� McConnell said.At his confirmation hearing in February, Garland sought to assure lawmakers that the Justice Department would remain politically independent on his watch. He said his first priority would be to combat extremist violence with an initial focus on the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, promising lawmakers that he would provide prosecutors with whatever resources they need to bring charges over the attack.Garland will also inherit immediate political challenges, including an ongoing criminal tax investigation into Biden맥스카지노�s son, Hunter, and a federal probe into the overseas and business dealings of the former New York City mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, which stalled last year over a dispute about investigative tactics as Trump unsuccessfully sought reelection.His confirmation also comes amid calls from many Democrats to pursue inquiries into Trump.Separately, Garland will also be responsible for overseeing a special counsel investigation into the origins of the Russia probe, which shadowed Trump맥스카지노�s presidency for more than two years. Garland will have to decide how to handle it and what to make public.An experienced judge, Garland held senior positions at the Justice Department decades ago, including as a supervisor in the prosecution of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which led to the execution of Timothy McVeigh. His experience prosecuting domestic terrorism cases could prove exceptionally valuable as investigations into the Capitol insurrection progress.The department맥스카지노�s priorities and messaging are expected to shift drastically in the Biden administration, with a focus more on civil rights issues, criminal justice overhauls and policing policies in the wake of nationwide protests over the death of Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement.That expected shift prompted some Republicans to oppose Garland맥스카지노�s nomination, including Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who said he believed the judge would be too soft on criminals and immigrants and 맥스카지노�empower left wing radicals embedded inside the department.맥스카지노�At his confirmation hearing, Garland emphasized his commitment to combating racial discrimination in policing, telling senators that said America doesn맥스카지노�t 맥스카지노�yet have equal justice.맥스카지노� He also said he맥스카지노�d prioritize confronting the rise in extremist violence and domestic terror threats.At one point in the hearing, he held back tears when speaking about his grandparents, who fled Russia for the U.S. amid antisemitism and persecution.맥스카지노�The country took us in, and protected us, and I feel an obligation to the country to pay back, and this is the highest, best use of my own set of skills to pay back,맥스카지노� Garland said. 맥스카지노�So I very much want to be the kind of attorney general that you맥스카지노�re saying I could become, and I맥스카지노�ll do my best to become that kind of attorney general.맥스카지노�