U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday announced nominees for the Department of Justice.
In a press release, Biden said he's nominating federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland for attorney general.
Garland, 68, currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Then-U.S. President Barack Obama selected Garland for the Supreme Court in 2016 but Senate Republicans stonewalled the nomination and refused to give him even a hearing.
In addition, Biden tapped veteran prosecutor Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general; civil rights attorney Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general; and Kristen Clarke as assistant attorney general for civil rights.
"They will restore the independence of the Department so it serves the interests of the people not a presidency, rebuild public trust in the rule of law, and work tirelessly to ensure a more fair and equitable justice system," the president-elect said of the nominees.
The U.S. Congress on early Thursday morning affirmed Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election over the Republican incumbent, Donald Trump.
Biden won 306 Electoral College votes versus 232 for Trump, according to the certified tally.
It takes at least 270 electoral votes to win the White House. The Democrat also won the popular votes by 7 million and more than 4 percentage points.
The certification process halted for hours on Wednesday after some pro-Trump protesters stormed the Capitol. Four people died and multiple were injured amid chaos and violence, according to police.
Trump on Thursday acknowledged the end of his presidency and pledged that "there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," the day he will leave office and Biden will be inaugurated.
