Senate hearing grows heated as Republicans repeatedly demanded Attorney General Merrick Garland retract a memo issued earlier this month aimed at addressing a rise in threats against school board officials around the country.
A Senate hearing grew heated on Wednesday as Republicans repeatedly demanded Attorney General Merrick Garland retract and apologize for a memo he issued earlier this month aimed at addressing a rise in threats against school board officials around the country.
Republicans, though, sought to characterize Garland's directive as an order for FBI agents to investigate and pursue parents voicing concerns at school board meetings -- which in recent months have been venues of intense debate over issues like policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and the teaching of race issues in American history.
Asked over and over by Republicans whether he regretted issuing the memo following the NSBA's apology, Garland said he did not. "This is shameful, this here, this testimony, your directive, your performance is shameful," Cotton said."Thank God you're not on the Supreme Court. You should resign in disgrace, judge."
"The purpose of this memorandum is to get our law enforcement to assess the extent of the problem and if there is no problem -- if states and local law enforcement are capable of handling the problem, then there is no need for our involvement in it," Garland said in response."This memo does not say to begin prosecuting anybody. It says to make assessments. That's what we do in the Justice Department, it has nothing to do with politics."Sen.
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