Senate Republicans have spent weeks ranting against President Joe Biden’s pick for the No. 3 position at the Justice Department Vanita Gupta, with GOP leaders vowing that their entire 50-member conference would stay unified against her confirmation.
Republicans criticized Gupta’s past statements on decriminalizing and described her as a “radical” who would defund the police. But their bubble was burst on Wednesday after Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted to confirm Gupta, blowing up her party’s effort to make Democrats solely own the confirmation, Politico reports.
According to Politico, “Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in the Senate on Wednesday ahead of a preliminary vote on Gupta, indicating widespread expectations that the nomination would require the first tie-breaking vote of the Biden administration.”
However, “Murkowski, who voted to convict Donald Trump in the former president’s second impeachment trial, had other plans. During floor remarks ahead of a final vote, the senator said that after meeting with Gupta, she was impressed by “the passion that [the nominee] carries with her with the work that she performs” and said Gupta is “deeply committed to matters of justice.”
Murkowski pointed out some of the issues she discussed with Gupta, including domestic violence and sexual assault, particularly against Native women — a major priority for the Alaska Republican.
“I felt that I was speaking to a woman who had not only committed her professional life to try to get the base of these injustices, to try to not just direct a little bit of money, put a program in place, and walk away and call it a day,” Murkowski said, “But to try to truly make a difference.”
As noted by Politico, “Gupta had unanimous support from Senate Democrats, who praised her credentials and were quick to note her endorsements from several law enforcement groups, including the Fraternal Order of Police, which endorsed former President Donald Trump twice. Gupta also has backing from Grover Norquist and Bill Kristol.”
