WASHINGTON:The US Senate on Wednesday (local time) confirmed Vanita Gupta to serve as Associate Attorney General of the United States, making her the first Indian-American to serve in this role.
According to CNN, the senate confirmed Gupta to be associate attorney general in a narrow 51-49 vote after Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined with Democrats in support of President Joe Biden’s Justice Department nominee.
Vice President Kamala Harris was on hand for a procedural vote Wednesday morning in case she was needed for a possible 50-50 tie, but her vote wasn’t necessary after Murkowski, a moderate Republican from Alaska, broke with her Republican colleagues to back Gupta.
Murkowski explained her support for Gupta on the Senate floor, saying she was troubled by some of Gupta’s statements but decided to back her confirmation following a lengthy conversation with the nominee, CNN reported.
“I asked her point-blank, ‘Why do you want this? Is this worth it?’ Because this has clearly been very hard on her as a nominee,” Murkowski said. “And she paused and reflected a moment, and just spoke to how she feels called to serve in a very personal way that I thought was impactful.”
“I am going to give the benefit of the doubt to a woman who I believe has demonstrated throughout her professional career to be deeply, deeply committed to matters of justice,” she added.
Gupta has served in Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under the Obama administration