Nomination Of Vanita Gupta

Floor Speech

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I feel very privileged to be here today to speak on behalf of Vanita Gupta, a dedicated public servant who is devoted, deeply devoted, to equal justice, civil rights, and the rule of law.

I have seen firsthand, and I know I am not the only one who has done so, her consummate dedication to the integrity of the Department of Justice, which is so vital to be restored at this moment in our history.

The support for her reflects a broad, professionally and ideologically diverse coalition of individuals and organizations that know she is eminently qualified to be Associate Attorney General.

When she is confirmed, she will not only be the first civil rights lawyer but also the first woman of color to serve as Associate Attorney General.

She is, in effect, the leader we need in that position now. And we need it right now. The Attorney General needs her right now. He has said so. And we should be proud to confirm this eminently qualified woman. Hers is the character that the Department of Justice requires to help restore trust and credibility.

Now, the fact is that she has been a target of a smear campaign, a vial and despicable campaign of lies and deception that are completely unfounded. These attacks are based on demonstrable lies and mischaracterizations.

Her previous tenure in the civil rights division makes absolutely clear her commitment to enforcing the law with integrity and honesty, with balance and insight. She has a proven record as a consensus builder and as a leader.

And her work with law enforcement is the reason why she has such support among law enforcement leaders, and that support is across party lines. In fact, every major law enforcement organization refers and supports her nomination.

Try as they might, unfortunately, our Republican colleagues continue to smear her. She has never--she has never called for defunding the police. She has never said many of the lies that are attributed to her. And even more than being unfounded, these attacks are really the height hypocrisy. It is unconscionable that Republicans would criticize this lifelong public servant and Justice Department veteran after they silently sat by when there was no Senate-confirmed Associate Attorney General for nearly 3 years during the Trump administration. The outrage that they feign should fall on deaf ears.

Our moment of reckoning is soon. It is not just our moment of reckoning; it is a moment of reckoning for the Nation because, in the last year, we have faced a global pandemic. We have grappled with racial justice issues that have been ignored for too long, and we have defended against an onslaught of hate and extremism.

We are at a pivotal moment. We urgently need her kind of leadership to combat domestic terrorism, extremist violence, and hate crimes. In fact, we are in the midst right now of considering a measure that will help combat hate crimes, including my No Hate legislation. We know hate crimes are surging, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been the target of them, particularly the alarming wave of vitriolic attacks most recently.

Vanita Gupta has been a leader in the fight against hate crimes. As the head of the civil rights division, she was the Nation's chief civil rights enforcer and prosecutor. And while leading that division, she also headed the first prosecutions under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded the Federal hate crime law to include, among other things, crimes motivated by a victim's sexual orientation--crimes motivated by whom a person loved.

During her confirmation hearing, she committed to using the Department of Justice tools to investigate and prosecute hate crimes where they happen and to use its bully pulpit to prevent hate from festering in communities around the country.

The plain truth is that Vanita Gupta is the right person at the right time for this job. The Senate should confirm her as supremely qualified for this eminently important assignment, and it should do so swiftly with bipartisan support.

Thank you.

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