The Department of Justice (DOJ) will advance President Joe Biden’s gun control policies if Merrick Garland, Biden’s nominee for U.S. attorney general, is confirmed by the Senate, Fox News reports.
Garland indicated as much on Tuesday, during his Senate confirmation hearing.
“Consistent with the law”
Garland was grilled on this very topic on Tuesday by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). At one point, Lee asked Garland, “Do you support banning certain types of firearms?”
“Well, as I’m sure you know, the president is a strong supporter of gun control and has been an advocate all his professional life on this question,” Garland said. “The role of the Justice Department is to advance the policy program of the administration as long as it is consistent with the law. Where there is room under the law for the president’s policies to be pursued, I think the president is entitled to pursue them.”
Many, of course, would argue that federal gun control is not “consistent with the law,” but instead is a violation of the Second Amendment.
Biden’s plan
On Biden’s campaign website, he states that, as president, he “will enact legislation to once again ban assault weapons … will enact universal background check legislation, requiring a background check for all gun sales … and buy back the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines already in our communities.”
Biden just confirmed this plan in a recent tweet, writing, “Today, I am calling on Congress to enact commonsense gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets.”
Breitbart reports that a number of Democratic congressmen and congresswomen are getting ready to introduce bills containing the policies called for by Biden. These are the policies that, apparently, Garland, as the next U.S. attorney general, would support.
Will Garland be the next AG?
It appears so. Garland’s confirmation hearing has been taking place this week, and at least one key Republican is in favor of giving Garland the nod.
That key Republican is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). McConnell indicated on Tuesday that he will support Garland’s confirmation, saying, simply, “I do,” without providing any further details.
McConnell was among those Republicans who blocked Garland from getting on the U.S. Supreme Court back when he was nominated by then-President Barack Obama towards the end of his second term in 2016. McConnell, however, made it clear at the time that he had nothing against Garland, and McConnell even subsequently recommended Garland to lead the FBI during the Trump administration.
With McConnell’s vote, Garland is well on his way to getting the 60 Senate votes needed to be confirmed to the U.S. attorney general post.
The post Merrick Garland will push Biden’s gun control agenda first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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