The Justice Department must take deliberate action in coming weeks and months to defend democracy and the Constitution in response to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, President Joe Biden’s picks for two top posts in the agency said in written testimony for their nomination hearing Tuesday.
“Today, the Justice Department is at an inflection point,” said Lisa Monaco, who’s been nominated to be deputy attorney general. “Our response to the shocking events of January 6th, an attack that cut to our country’s core — and I know so personally affected many in this room — is nothing less than the defense of our democracy.”
Vanita Gupta, who’s been nominated to be associate attorney general, said she’s committed her career “to ensuring that the promises made in the Constitution are kept, and that our federal laws are fairly and impartially applied.”
“As the events on Jan. 6th make clear, our democracy and Constitution do not protect themselves,” Gupta said. “It is people of good conscience who do.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee released their prepared testimony in advance of a joint hearing to consider the nominations. If confirmed, they’re expected to serve under Merrick Garland, who has been nominated to be attorney general. Garland has bipartisan support, and the full Senate is expected to vote on his nomination as early as Wednesday.
“Never has the department’s role in protecting our national security and the safety of the American people been more important, as we battle violent extremism — foreign and domestic — and mounting cyber threats from nation states and criminals alike,” Monaco said.
Monaco said she spent more than 15 years at the Justice Department under presidents of both parties. In 2011 Monaco became the first woman to lead the Justice Department’s national security division, a position that required Senate confirmation. She also was homeland security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Gupta headed the department’s Civil Rights Division during the Obama administration. She has served as president and chief executive officer of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
“If confirmed, I will aggressively ensure that the Justice Department is independent from partisan influence,” Gupta said. “That independence is part of a long tradition, and it is vital to the fair administration of justice and preserving the public’s trust and confidence in our legal system.
