Garland to Face Lawmakers on Bannon, Abortion, Voting Rights
WASHINGTON—Attorney General Merrick Garland faces his first oversight hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, where Democrats and Republicans are expected to press him on issues including the Justice Department’s approach to abortion rights, voting rights, mask mandates and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He will also likely be questioned on whether one-time Trump aide Steve Bannon will face charges for defying a congressional subpoena. The House is expected to vote later Thursday to hold Mr. Bannon in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena from congressional investigators probing the Capitol riot, an action that would hand the case to the Justice Department for potential prosecution.
Democrats are urging the Justice Department to charge Mr. Bannon. President Biden said last Friday that he thought those who refuse to comply with the committee should be prosecuted. Mr. Garland’s spokesman quickly countered that the department would make its own decisions independently. While the White House repeatedly said Mr. Biden concurred, Mr. Garland will likely be pressed about whether he can approach the case fairly.
Democrats will also seek answers about the Justice Department’s broader strategy for prosecuting more than 650 people in connection with the riot, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop certification of Mr. Biden’s election victory. Some on the left have complained prosecutors aren’t doing enough to hold former President Donald Trump and his associates accountable for inciting the violence, which some Republicans have sought to play down.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/garland-to-face-lawmakers-on-bannon-abortion-voting-rights/ar-AAPMS4R