On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the U.S. Department of Justice would be using Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to sue the state of Georgia over its 2021 election law package recently signed into law. As reported by Margot Cleveland for The Federalist:

First, the DOJ complains that Georgia prohibits the distribution of unsolicited absentee ballot applications then also bars private organizations from distributing duplicate absent ballot applications. Next, the DOJ challenges Georgia’s requirement that in requesting an absentee ballot that voters either provide their driver’s license number or present a photocopy of another form of identification — but even a utility bill would suffice.

Last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Department of Justice would be expanding its voting rights staff to directly oppose GOP efforts seeking to enact state voting laws that promote fair and honest elections. As a piece by RedState put it:

[Garland] made it clear that the work of DOJ would be to advance the causes and interests of the Democrat Party for the purpose of improving its chances at the ballot box. . .

College campuses are often seen as a battleground for the First Amendment. On Monday, Reps. Jim Jordan and Kat Cammack announced the creation of a campus free speech caucus with the intention of raising awareness among their colleagues about the challenges that many students, professors, and administrators alike face when exercising their First Amendment rights on campus. Jordan and Cammack will partner with Young America's Foundation on the initiative:

“The First Amendment is under attack on campuses across the country,” said Congressman Jim Jordan. “Every day, students and faculty are forced to self-censor out of fear that they will be ‘canceled’ by the mob. The Campus Free Speech Caucus, led by Rep. Kat Cammack and inspired by YAF, will work with Congress to push back on ‘woke’ cancel culture and defend freedom for Americans everywhere.”

This week was a busy one for Biden Administration nominees. Kristen Clarke was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The Senate Judiciary Committee also held a hearing to consider six other nominees, including Tiffany P. Cunningham to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit and David H. Chipman to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

After a party-line vote, the nomination of Kristen Clarke to lead the DOJ Civil Rights Division will be sent to the full Senate for consideration. As the RNLA has repeatedly highlighted, Clarke's nomination is one of the most dangerous nominations made by the Biden Administration thus far. Prior to today's vote, Senator Cruz noted that Clarke "has spent her life on the extreme left-wing.”

Since Kristen Clarke was nominated to lead the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, RNLA has highlighted concerns with her record including inconsistencies with her testimony given to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon have uncovered another inconsistency in Clarke's testimony:

Clarke told the Senate Judiciary Committee last month that she merely provided "logistical support" for a 1999 Columbia University conference, "Black America vs. The Prison Industrial Complex." But an itinerary from the conference shows Clarke moderated a panel on alleged human rights violations in the prison system. . .

Vanita Gupta has been confirmed to be Associate Attorney General by a mostly party-line vote. She remains one of the most controversial nominations made by the Biden Administration so far. Presidents are entitled to nominate qualified individuals to fill political positions, but as Republican Leader Mitch McConnell explained on the Senate floor earlier today, Gupta falls outside of the mainstream:

After the Senate Judiciary Committee was tied on whether to advance Vanita Gupta's nomination as Associate Attorney General last month, Senate Democrats have begun the process to advance Gupta's nomination to the floor despite remaining questions about her record in several key areas including her position on defunding the police and her relationship with the drug company Aventor. Senator Cornyn has warned that she may be the Biden Administration's "most dangerous" nominee to the Department of Justice.

Earlier today, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Kristen Clarke to be Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice. Clarke is one of the more controversial individuals that President Joe Biden has nominated to hold high-ranking positions in the Administration as RNLA previously noted here and here. At issue most prominently during today's hearing was Clarke's positions on defunding the police, religious liberty, race, and voting rights.

Earlier today, the Senate Judiciary Committee considered the controversial nomination of Vanita Gupta to be associate attorney general. The vote on Gupta's nomination ended in a tie. As reported by CNN: