The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.
Merrick GarlandIn office March 20, 1997 – March 11, 2021Appointed byBill ClintonPreceded byAbner J. MikvaSucceeded byKetanji Brown Jackson23 more rows
69 years (November 13, 1952)Merrick Garland / Age
Christine BarrWilliam Barr / Spouse (m. 1973)
Edmund Jennings RandolphOn September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.
79 years (November 20, 1942)Joe Biden / Age
73 years (June 23, 1948)Clarence Thomas / Age
16 years (March 22, 2005)Merrick Hanna / Age
Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans blocked his nomination, claiming that the public should vote for the next president to decide the lifelong appointment. But in September 2020, then-President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
McConnell said he voted to confirm Garland's nomination as attorney general "because of his long reputation as a straight-shooter and legal expert," calling his "left-of-center perspective" within "the legal mainstream.".
Court of Appeals since 1997 and served as the chief judge on the court, considered the most important except the Supreme Court, from 2013 until 2020.
6 riot on the Capitol, which has led to increasing calls for a new domestic terrorism law to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation — a part of the DOJ — go after members of the pro-Trump mob that waged the attack.
Court of Appeals since 1997 and served as the chief judge on the court, considered the most important except the Supreme Court, from 2013 until 2020.
6 riot on the Capitol, which has led to increasing calls for a new domestic terrorism law to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation — a part of the DOJ — go after members of the pro-Trump mob that waged the attack.
He served as the national security adviser to Biden when he was vice president and was a deputy assistant to the president during Obama's first term. Janet Yellen.
President Barack Obama nominated Garland to the Supreme Court after a vacancy was created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016. But Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, refused for months to hold confirmation hearings or the required vote in the chamber.
Haaland had already made history in 2018 when she was elected as one of the first two Native American women in Congress. In 2016, Haaland traveled to North Dakota to take part in the protests over plans to build a pipeline underneath a key source of water for the Standing Rock Reservation. Confirmed in 34 days.
Harris has made history as the first female, first Black and first South Asian American vice president. She served as a United States senator from 2017 until this year, and ran for president in 2020, but dropped out during the Democratic primary. She was the first woman and first Black woman to serve as California’s attorney general.
Yellen already made history as the first woman to have chaired the Federal Reserve. She previously served as the vice chair of the board, and president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Yellen was also chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers from 1997 to 1999.
Austin is the first Black person to lead the Pentagon. Austin was approved for a congressional waiver to be confirmed for the civilian post because federal law requires seven years of retirement from active duty before taking on the role. Austin retired from active-duty service only four years ago.
Becerra is the first Latino to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He most recently served as California's attorney general, and was the first Latino to hold that office in the history of the state. As the state’s attorney general, Becerra had been a chief defender of the Affordable Care Act in court.