The hearing for the confirmation of Biden's pick for attorney general is adjourned until Tuesday morning.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., in his first line of questioning as a member of the Judiciary Committee, asked Garland how he could use his power as attorney general to make equal justice for all Americans a possibility.

Garland said he was "deeply aware" of the moment the country is in with regards to racial justice and that it was a substantial part of why he wants to be attorney general. He cited over-incarceration of Black Americans and other minorities, reducing the emphasis on prosecuting lower-level crimes like marijuana possession and the need for greater discretion to prosecutors in terms of not pursuing the harshest sentences for crimes that aren't of a violent nature.

Ossoff also said that Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery and asked Garland how he planned to use the DOJ's authority to ensure that local agencies are held to account.

"What I will say is that like many, many Americans I was shocked by what I saw in videos of Black Americans being killed over this last summer. That, I do think, created a moment in the national life that brought attention from people who had not seen what Black Americans and other members of communities of color had known for decades, but it did bring everything to the fore and created a moment," Garland said. "We have an opportunity to make dramatic changes and really bring forth equal justice under the law which is our commitment of the Justice Department for the Civil Rights Division is the place where we focus these -- these operations."

-ABC News' Alexander Mallin

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., pushed Garland on his view of the death penalty, noting that convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, whom Garland helped prosecute, was put to death in the early 2000s. Garland said he didn’t regret that but said his thoughts on the death penalty have evolved.

He says Biden has the ability to put a moratorium on the death penalty and ultimately his stance on it will follow the president's.

Multiple senators addressed racial equality and disparities in the justice system as well as the prosecution of hate crimes. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., asked Garland if he felt there were two systems of justice in the United States and Garland said he did. Garland vowed to have the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division aggressively prosecute hate crimes.

"Hate crimes tear at the fabric of our society make our citizens worried about walking on the street and exercising even their most normal rights and the role of the Civil Rights Division is to prosecute those cases, vigorously and I can assure you that it will if I'm confirmed," Garland said.

-ABC News' Luke Barr

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., asked Garland if he had insight into any shortfalls of the investigation into former financier Jeffrey Epstein who died by suicide in federal custody in New York in August 2019.

"He obviously should have been vigorously prosecuted substantially earlier but I don't know the why," he said.

When asked by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., about defunding the police, he said he doesn’t believe in it.

"We saw how difficult the lives of police officers were in the body cam videos we saw when they were defending the Capitol," Garland said. "I do believe and President Biden believes in giving resources to police departments to help them reform and gain the trust of their communities,."

-ABC News' Luke Barr

Asked by Judiciary Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin whether the Jan. 6 insurrection was a "one-off" domestic terrorism event, Garland said he didn't think it was, citing comments by FBI Director Chris Wray who has outlined the rise in threat of domestic terrorism in recent years.

Garland said he agreed that we are currently facing "a more dangerous period" than the nation faced when he was overseeing the investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing. He said while he has no inside information about the department's investigation into the Capitol rioters, he said "it looks like an extremely aggressive and perfectly appropriate beginning to an investigation" adding it will be his first priority and first briefing upon his return to the department if he's confirmed.

Asked about the Trump Administration's child separations, Garland said the policy was "shameful" and said he would ensure cooperation from Justice Department into the committee's investigation of the policy.

"I can't imagine anything worse than tearing parents from their children and we will provide all the cooperation we possibly can," Garland said.

Garland was asked whether he will let special counsel John Durham finish his investigation, Garland said he had no information on it but has no reason from what he currently knows to believe Durham should be removed. Garland said it will be among his first briefings upon confirmation as Attorney General.

Garland declined to answer a question from Grassley about whether he will commit to defending the death sentence penalties for certain individuals like the Boston marathon bomber, noting they are pending cases.

Grassley also asked whether Garland had any discussions with Biden about the investigation into Hunter Biden.

"I have not. The president made abundantly clear in every public statement before and after my nomination that the decisions about investigations and prosecutions will be left to the justice department," Garland said. "That was the reason that I was willing to take on this job, and so the answer to your question is no."

-ABC News' Alexander Mallin