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Attorney General Merrick Garland’s remarks in Selma, Alabama, over the weekend, commemorating the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, sounded like a desperate affirmation to people likely unimpressed with his work to support voting rights.
In a speech at Tabernacle Baptist Church, Garland gave the audience a history lesson on the centuries-long fight for Black voting rights and said the Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act freed up states to introduce voting laws that "threaten the foundation of our system of government." Then he touted things he says the Justice Department has done to shore up Black voters’ access to the polls, like filing lawsuits to challenge new voter identification requirements and restrictions on voting by mail, as well as lawsuits challenging gerrymandered congressional maps that dilute Black voter power.
Garland also touted the DOJ’s task force for prosecuting threats against election workers.
But from my vantage point, the most important thing he said acknowledged a widespread criticism of the DOJ’s voting rights work. He said that “there is so much more to do.”
The reality is that Garland has faced widespread criticism for what appears to be his department’s unwillingness — or unpreparedness — to defend voting rights with the vigor this moment demands.
Up till now, Garland’s DOJ has faced criticism from various federal officials over sentences it sought for convicted Jan. 6 rioters. It’s faced criticism from activists who’ve noticed a delay and lack of aggressiveness in the DOJ’s protection of voting rights. Despite launching the DOJ’s election worker task force, it’s faced criticism from state-level elected officials, including Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, for its alleged meekness in defending election workers. And Garland is routinely dragged by liberal writers for his plodding efforts at holding former President Donald Trump accountable for election interference. Liberal writers have criticized his deference to conservative prosecutor Robert Hur in a special counsel probe over President Biden’s handling of classified documents. Hur's report seemed designed to hurt Biden’s re-election chances.
In hindsight, I imagine the Biden administration regrets nominating Garland to his position. While it may have felt nice to stick it to Republicans by appointing Garland to AG after they’d undemocratically denied him a chance to join the Supreme Court, he’s ultimately proven to be a pretty feckless attorney general. And that’s why, to me, Garland’s Bloody Sunday anniversary speech sounded like a man aware of the side-eyes he’s earned from liberals.
“We promise you that we will do our part,” he said, going on to add that “we know our democracy depends on it.”
And that sounds great. But no one’s ever doubted Garland’s ability to give a good speech. So damn the promises. When it comes to Garland’s support for voting rights, the proof will be in the pudding this fall.