Biden says 'no time to waste' on COVID relief bill

He made brief remarks Saturday after the House passed the legislation.

This is Day 40 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.


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Biden's AG pick to face questions before Senate Judiciary Committee

Merrick Garland, Biden's pick for attorney general, could face tricky political questions during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. In the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Garland and Democrats are expected to point to Garland's work prosecuting the Oklahoma City bombing as evidence of his ability to investigate and prosecute domestic terrorism.

"If confirmed, I will supervise the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on January 6 – a heinous attack that sought to disrupt a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government,” Garland will say.

Garland's opening statement also conveys a commitment to equity, saying that upholding the Civil Rights Act remains "urgent" for the Department of Justice. Garland has received ample bipartisan support, ahead of his confirmation hearings before Senate Judiciary Monday and Tuesday, 61 former federal judges and a bipartisan group of more than 150 former Justice Department officials have penned letters in support of Garland's confirmation.

-ABC News' Alexander Mallin and Benjamin Siegel


Garland calls child separation 'shameful' policy

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