Biden Will Reportedly Pick Merrick Garland As Attorney General

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Merrick Garland, the Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, for Attorney General, according to a report by CNN.

CNN’s Arlette Saenz announced the news, reporting live from Wilmington, DE and citing reporter Jeff Zeleny as the one who first learned the information. Biden’s final decision to pick Garland to head the Department of Justice came after a Democratic victory in the Georgia Senate runoffs seemed all but certain, flipping control back to the Democrats — and therefore paving an easier path forward for Biden’s nominees.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reacted positively to the announcement, telling Jake Tapper, “I love Merrick Garland,” and describing Garland as “someone that is well liked on the court,” who worked well with judges appointed by presidents of both parties, who “knows the law,” and would “bring credibility back to the justice department and improve morale.”

Garland was previously nominated by former President Barack Obama to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, but then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to hold hearings on the nomination until after the election, and President Donald Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch to the nation’s highest court instead.

Klobuchar noted that Garland’s grace during his past failed nomination and his longstanding relationships with people on both sides of the aisle would help assure him “a smooth confirmation,” she believed.

Politico is confirming CNN’s report, citing “two people with knowledge of the decision” as their sources.

Watch the video clip above, via CNN.

This is a breaking news story and has been updated.