Cindy Carr cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Yesterday, President-elect Joe Biden nominated Judge Merrick Garland to serve as Attorney General, Lisa Monaco to serve as Deputy Attorney General, Vanita Gupta as Associate Attorney General, and Kristen Clarke as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
Merrick Garland is the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals in D.C. and a former Obama Supreme Court nominee. The Sierra Club supported Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court in 2016 but the process was unjustly stalled by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Lisa Monaco formerly served in the Obama Administration as Homeland Security Advisor, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and as Principal Assistant Attorney General. Vanita Gupta is the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and previously served as the head of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department under President Obama. Kristen Clarke is president and executive director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and formerly with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Department of Justice.
In response, Leslie Fields, Sierra Club’s National Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Legal, released the following statement:
“After nearly four years of Donald Trump using the Department of Justice to actively perpetuate corruption at the expense of our nation’s interest, the Sierra Club applauds President-elect Biden for selecting true public servants who will begin repairing the destruction caused by the Trump Administration.
“The Sierra Club is committed to confronting the systemic inequality that has allowed racial injustice to persist. If we want to create communities that are truly safe, just and equitable, we need leadership who will fight for the humanity and the dignity of all people. Under the leadership of Judge Garland, Lisa Monaco, Vanita Gupta, and Kristen Clarke, we are confident the Department of Justice will restore its independence from the presidency; enforce all the key civil, criminal and environmental laws; and finally prioritize the safety and humanity of all people living in this country.”
###
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.