On Tuesday, the GOP-led Senate confirmed Pam Bondi to become U.S. Attorney General in President Donald Trump‘s second-term administration.
The final vote was 54-46. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the sole Democrat to break ranks and join with Republicans in supporting the Cabinet nominee.
Bondi was picked to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) in November after Trump’s prior nominee, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), withdrew from consideration.
Trump touted Bondi’s work prosecuting violent criminals and combating drug trafficking. He added the DOJ would no longer be “weaponized” against Republicans like himself.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again,” Trump declared in a statement.
Bondi, a former GOP attorney general of Florida who helped defend Trump during his first impeachment trial, endured one of the more hotly-contested nominations.
Democrats who oppose the pick have raised concerns about Bondi siding with wealthy special interests and doing Trump’s bidding for political purposes.
They demanded records from Bondi, FBI director nominee Kash Patel, and acting leaders in response to the reassignment or removal of senior DOJ officials.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said on Tuesday that Bondi’s record showed that she is “highly qualified” to serve as U.S. Attorney General.
Bondi is “ready and able to serve our country well, and I know she’ll work with President Trump to restore faith in the Justice Department,” he declared.
During her confirmation hearing earlier this month before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Bondi testified about prioritizing a revival of trust in the DOJ.
“I will fight every day to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice and each of its components,” Bondi said. “The partisanship, the weaponization, will be gone.”
Bondi also made waves when she clashed with some of the committee’s Democrat members, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a high-profile Trump critic.
“I will never play politics,” Bondi told Schiff at one point. “You’re trying to engage me in a ‘gotcha.’ I won’t play politics with any ongoing investigation like you did.”
After Democrats placed a one-week hold on the nomination, Bondi advanced out of committee by a 12-10 vote along party lines. The Senate broke the filibuster on Monday.
Several Trump Cabinet nominees have been confirmed by the Senate, including Doug Collins, who received the nod to become Veterans Affairs secretary on Tuesday.
Others are still making their way through the upper chamber, including Patel and Russell Vought, Trump’s pick to once again lead the Office of Management and Budget.
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence; and Robert F. Kennedy, the pick to be HHS secretary, both advanced out of committee on Tuesday.
Following Bondi’s confirmation, the Senate voted to break the filibuster and proceed with the nomination of former NFL player Scott Turner to become HUD secretary.
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[[{“value”:”
On Tuesday, the GOP-led Senate confirmed Pam Bondi to become U.S. Attorney General in President Donald Trump‘s second-term administration.
The final vote was 54-46. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the sole Democrat to break ranks and join with Republicans in supporting the Cabinet nominee.
Bondi was picked to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) in November after Trump’s prior nominee, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), withdrew from consideration.
Trump touted Bondi’s work prosecuting violent criminals and combating drug trafficking. He added the DOJ would no longer be “weaponized” against Republicans like himself.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again,” Trump declared in a statement.
Bondi, a former GOP attorney general of Florida who helped defend Trump during his first impeachment trial, endured one of the more hotly-contested nominations.
Democrats who oppose the pick have raised concerns about Bondi siding with wealthy special interests and doing Trump’s bidding for political purposes.
They demanded records from Bondi, FBI director nominee Kash Patel, and acting leaders in response to the reassignment or removal of senior DOJ officials.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said on Tuesday that Bondi’s record showed that she is “highly qualified” to serve as U.S. Attorney General.
Bondi is “ready and able to serve our country well, and I know she’ll work with President Trump to restore faith in the Justice Department,” he declared.
During her confirmation hearing earlier this month before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Bondi testified about prioritizing a revival of trust in the DOJ.
“I will fight every day to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice and each of its components,” Bondi said. “The partisanship, the weaponization, will be gone.”
Bondi also made waves when she clashed with some of the committee’s Democrat members, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a high-profile Trump critic.
“I will never play politics,” Bondi told Schiff at one point. “You’re trying to engage me in a ‘gotcha.’ I won’t play politics with any ongoing investigation like you did.”
After Democrats placed a one-week hold on the nomination, Bondi advanced out of committee by a 12-10 vote along party lines. The Senate broke the filibuster on Monday.
Several Trump Cabinet nominees have been confirmed by the Senate, including Doug Collins, who received the nod to become Veterans Affairs secretary on Tuesday.
Others are still making their way through the upper chamber, including Patel and Russell Vought, Trump’s pick to once again lead the Office of Management and Budget.
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence; and Robert F. Kennedy, the pick to be HHS secretary, both advanced out of committee on Tuesday.
Following Bondi’s confirmation, the Senate voted to break the filibuster and proceed with the nomination of former NFL player Scott Turner to become HUD secretary.
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