Senate panel votes to advance Garland’s nomination for attorney general

WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Monday to advance the nomination of Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general.

The committee voted 15 to seven in favor of Garland’s nomination at a meeting Monday.

Garland, a federal appeals court judge who was snubbed by Republicans for a seat on the Supreme Court in 2016, is among Biden’s most widely supported nominees. The committee’s vote puts him on track for a quick confirmation, potentially within days.

The committee’s chairman, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., praised Garland as a highly qualified and honorable jurist who is uniquely qualified to lead the Justice Department after a tumultuous four years under former President Donald Trump.

The committee’s top Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said he intends to support Garland’s nomination. He said he’s “an honorable man” but that he “has his work cut out for him.”

At his confirmation hearing last week, Garland vowed to prioritize combating extremist violence with an initial focus on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.