Merrick Garland has been confirmed by the Senate as US Attorney General.

The Senate voted on Wednesday to confirm Merrick Garland as attorney general, with the longtime federal court of appeal judge and a one-time Supreme Court choice at the helm of an agency central to President Joe’s domestic policy agenda Biden.

The vote was 70-30.

Garland takes over as the head of the Department of Justices as the sprawling agency continues investigations into the January 6 riot at the Capitol, one of the largest probes in its history. Garland has called the investigation his first priority.

The Justice Department will also be pivotal in executing Biden’s sweeping civil rights enforcement and criminal justice reform plans. The department is likely to make important decisions in the coming years regarding the regulation of the country’s largest technology companies, some of which are pushing lawmakers to part ways.

Garland has pledged to defend the Justice Department’s independence during hearings before the judicial committee last month. Biden has made restoring the traditional distance between the department and political officials in the White House a top priority.

“I wouldn’t have taken this job if I thought politics would have any influence on prosecutions and investigations,” Garland told lawmakers at his hearing. He said he and Biden had not discussed an ongoing investigation into the tax affairs of Hunter Biden, the president’s son.

Senate leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., welcomed Garland’s nomination ahead of Wednesday’s vote.

“America can breathe a sigh of relief that we will finally have someone like Merrick Garland running the Justice Department. Someone with integrity, independence, respect for the rule of law and credibility on both sides of the aisle,” said Schumer. the Senate floor. “He understands that the Attorney General’s job is to protect the rule of law, unlike the previous Attorney General under President Trump.”

Before Biden hired Garland as Attorney General, the centrist attorney was nominated by former President Barack Obama for a seat on the Supreme Court in 2016 following the death of Judge Antonin Scalia. Republicans controlled the Senate at the time and declined to hold a hearing on his nomination.

Several other Justice Department nominees are still under consideration by the Senate, including Vanita Gupta, Kristen Clarke and Lisa Monaco. Gupta and Monaco were faced with questions from senators on Tuesday.

Gupta, who led the civil rights division of the Justice Department under Obama, is nominated to become deputy attorney general. Clarke is nominated as head of the civil rights department. Biden nominated Monaco as Deputy Attorney General.