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Vanita Gupta, then-nominee for associate attorney general, testifies during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Hart Building on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
'Exactly the Person We Need': Senate Confirms Civil Rights Champion Vanita Gupta for Key Spot at DOJ
Every Republican senator except one voted against the veteran attorney and rights advocate.
Apr 21, 2021
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday narrowly confirmed Vanita Gupta to be associate attorney general, eliciting praise from civil rights defenders.
The vote was 51-49, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska the sole Republican to join Democrats in voting for Gupta to be the third highest ranking official at the Justice Department.
A civil rights lawyer who has worked at both the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), Gupta will be the first woman of color to be associate attorney general. In the position, she will oversee the Justice Department's tax, antitrust, and civil rights divisions--the latter of which she led under the Obama administration.
Her nomination faced strong opposition from Republicans, which Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, denounced as "baseless smears" by the minority party.
\u201c"Vanita Gupta is not a partisan, she's a patriot."\n\nMUST-WATCH: Hearing the baseless claims Republicans are spreading in this chamber, @SenBooker ran to the Senate floor in defense of Vanita Gupta. Hear his passionate remarks as @SenateDems fights to #ConfirmGupta #WeHaveHerBack\u201d— Senate Judiciary Committee (@Senate Judiciary Committee) 1619028900
Democratic lawmakers welcomed the confirmation.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Gupta "will bring a long overdue perspective to our federal law enforcement agency."
Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) said she "dedicated her life to advancing equity, justice, and civil rights--work I know she'll continue at the Justice Department."
The confirmation also sparked an outpouring of praise from progressive organizations, some of whom put it in the context of the recent spate of police killings and Tuesday's conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.
"Gupta's confirmation is especially crucial as the nation reckons with reimagining and reinventing a public safety system that works for everyone, as well as confronting the systemic racism that has excused centuries of police killings of Black people with impunity."
--Ben Jealous, People For The American Way"Following yesterday's conviction," said People For the American Way president Ben Jealous, "Gupta's confirmation is especially crucial as the nation reckons with reimagining and reinventing a public safety system that works for everyone, as well as confronting the systemic racism that has excused centuries of police killings of Black people with impunity."
"Gupta is the best choice to be associate attorney general and her record of leadership on civil rights issues is unparalleled," said Jealous, who expressed confidence she'll "fight successfully for greater equity in our criminal legal system and for the rights and dignity of every person in America."
Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director counsel of LDF, pointed to Gupta's record as a civil rights lawyer and leader as evidence "why she is exactly the right person to help return the Department of Justice to its mandate of civil rights enforcement," especially given "this critical moment in the history of our country."
Delivering a similar message was Damon Hewitt, acting president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "We are at a pivotal moment in our nation's history, an inflection point at which we are rebuilding and defending democracy at the same time," he said.
Citing her "extensive and unassailable record when it comes to integrity and expertise in the administration of justice," Hewitt declared Gupta "exactly the person we need to help lead the Justice Department and advance equal justice for all."
Jealous and Ifill also urged the Senate to confirm Kristen Clarke, Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Like Gupta, Clarke is a woman of color, a civil rights lawyer, and a target of GOP attacks, as Politico reported this week.
Ifill, however, called Clarke and Gupta "extraordinary civil rights attorneys" whom she hopes "can work in tandem with Attorney General Merrick Garland to vigorously enforce civil rights protections, especially in the areas of voting rights, policing, and criminal justice."
"We look forward to working with the department as it fulfills this urgent and imperative mandate," said Ifill.
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The U.S. Senate on Wednesday narrowly confirmed Vanita Gupta to be associate attorney general, eliciting praise from civil rights defenders.
The vote was 51-49, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska the sole Republican to join Democrats in voting for Gupta to be the third highest ranking official at the Justice Department.
A civil rights lawyer who has worked at both the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), Gupta will be the first woman of color to be associate attorney general. In the position, she will oversee the Justice Department's tax, antitrust, and civil rights divisions--the latter of which she led under the Obama administration.
Her nomination faced strong opposition from Republicans, which Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, denounced as "baseless smears" by the minority party.
\u201c"Vanita Gupta is not a partisan, she's a patriot."\n\nMUST-WATCH: Hearing the baseless claims Republicans are spreading in this chamber, @SenBooker ran to the Senate floor in defense of Vanita Gupta. Hear his passionate remarks as @SenateDems fights to #ConfirmGupta #WeHaveHerBack\u201d— Senate Judiciary Committee (@Senate Judiciary Committee) 1619028900
Democratic lawmakers welcomed the confirmation.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Gupta "will bring a long overdue perspective to our federal law enforcement agency."
Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) said she "dedicated her life to advancing equity, justice, and civil rights--work I know she'll continue at the Justice Department."
The confirmation also sparked an outpouring of praise from progressive organizations, some of whom put it in the context of the recent spate of police killings and Tuesday's conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.
"Gupta's confirmation is especially crucial as the nation reckons with reimagining and reinventing a public safety system that works for everyone, as well as confronting the systemic racism that has excused centuries of police killings of Black people with impunity."
--Ben Jealous, People For The American Way"Following yesterday's conviction," said People For the American Way president Ben Jealous, "Gupta's confirmation is especially crucial as the nation reckons with reimagining and reinventing a public safety system that works for everyone, as well as confronting the systemic racism that has excused centuries of police killings of Black people with impunity."
"Gupta is the best choice to be associate attorney general and her record of leadership on civil rights issues is unparalleled," said Jealous, who expressed confidence she'll "fight successfully for greater equity in our criminal legal system and for the rights and dignity of every person in America."
Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director counsel of LDF, pointed to Gupta's record as a civil rights lawyer and leader as evidence "why she is exactly the right person to help return the Department of Justice to its mandate of civil rights enforcement," especially given "this critical moment in the history of our country."
Delivering a similar message was Damon Hewitt, acting president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "We are at a pivotal moment in our nation's history, an inflection point at which we are rebuilding and defending democracy at the same time," he said.
Citing her "extensive and unassailable record when it comes to integrity and expertise in the administration of justice," Hewitt declared Gupta "exactly the person we need to help lead the Justice Department and advance equal justice for all."
Jealous and Ifill also urged the Senate to confirm Kristen Clarke, Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Like Gupta, Clarke is a woman of color, a civil rights lawyer, and a target of GOP attacks, as Politico reported this week.
Ifill, however, called Clarke and Gupta "extraordinary civil rights attorneys" whom she hopes "can work in tandem with Attorney General Merrick Garland to vigorously enforce civil rights protections, especially in the areas of voting rights, policing, and criminal justice."
"We look forward to working with the department as it fulfills this urgent and imperative mandate," said Ifill.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday narrowly confirmed Vanita Gupta to be associate attorney general, eliciting praise from civil rights defenders.
The vote was 51-49, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska the sole Republican to join Democrats in voting for Gupta to be the third highest ranking official at the Justice Department.
A civil rights lawyer who has worked at both the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), Gupta will be the first woman of color to be associate attorney general. In the position, she will oversee the Justice Department's tax, antitrust, and civil rights divisions--the latter of which she led under the Obama administration.
Her nomination faced strong opposition from Republicans, which Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, denounced as "baseless smears" by the minority party.
\u201c"Vanita Gupta is not a partisan, she's a patriot."\n\nMUST-WATCH: Hearing the baseless claims Republicans are spreading in this chamber, @SenBooker ran to the Senate floor in defense of Vanita Gupta. Hear his passionate remarks as @SenateDems fights to #ConfirmGupta #WeHaveHerBack\u201d— Senate Judiciary Committee (@Senate Judiciary Committee) 1619028900
Democratic lawmakers welcomed the confirmation.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Gupta "will bring a long overdue perspective to our federal law enforcement agency."
Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) said she "dedicated her life to advancing equity, justice, and civil rights--work I know she'll continue at the Justice Department."
The confirmation also sparked an outpouring of praise from progressive organizations, some of whom put it in the context of the recent spate of police killings and Tuesday's conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.
"Gupta's confirmation is especially crucial as the nation reckons with reimagining and reinventing a public safety system that works for everyone, as well as confronting the systemic racism that has excused centuries of police killings of Black people with impunity."
--Ben Jealous, People For The American Way"Following yesterday's conviction," said People For the American Way president Ben Jealous, "Gupta's confirmation is especially crucial as the nation reckons with reimagining and reinventing a public safety system that works for everyone, as well as confronting the systemic racism that has excused centuries of police killings of Black people with impunity."
"Gupta is the best choice to be associate attorney general and her record of leadership on civil rights issues is unparalleled," said Jealous, who expressed confidence she'll "fight successfully for greater equity in our criminal legal system and for the rights and dignity of every person in America."
Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director counsel of LDF, pointed to Gupta's record as a civil rights lawyer and leader as evidence "why she is exactly the right person to help return the Department of Justice to its mandate of civil rights enforcement," especially given "this critical moment in the history of our country."
Delivering a similar message was Damon Hewitt, acting president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "We are at a pivotal moment in our nation's history, an inflection point at which we are rebuilding and defending democracy at the same time," he said.
Citing her "extensive and unassailable record when it comes to integrity and expertise in the administration of justice," Hewitt declared Gupta "exactly the person we need to help lead the Justice Department and advance equal justice for all."
Jealous and Ifill also urged the Senate to confirm Kristen Clarke, Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Like Gupta, Clarke is a woman of color, a civil rights lawyer, and a target of GOP attacks, as Politico reported this week.
Ifill, however, called Clarke and Gupta "extraordinary civil rights attorneys" whom she hopes "can work in tandem with Attorney General Merrick Garland to vigorously enforce civil rights protections, especially in the areas of voting rights, policing, and criminal justice."
"We look forward to working with the department as it fulfills this urgent and imperative mandate," said Ifill.
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LATEST NEWS
'We Are In Complete Shock': Israel Bombs Last Fully Functioning Hospital in North Gaza
"Once again we repeat: Patients, health workers, and hospitals must be protected. The aid blockade must be lifted. Cease-fire," the WHO chief said.
Apr 13, 2025
Israeli forces bombed the last fully functioning hospital in northern Gaza early Sunday morning, killing at least three people, including a 12-year-old boy.
The missile attack on al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City is the latest in what has been described as Israel's "campaign of genocide" to systematically attack Gaza's healthcare infrastructure, which has damaged 33 out of Gaza's 36 hospitals.
The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which manages al-Ahli hospital, said in a statement Sunday that it condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms."
"The Diocese of Jerusalem is appalled at the bombing of the hospital now for the fifth time since the beginning of the war in 2023—and this time on the morning of Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week," the diocese said. "We call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions. We pray and call for the end of this horrific war and the suffering of so many."
According to the diocese, patients and health workers were only given 20 minutes to evacuate before two missiles struck, destroying the hospital's genetic laboratory and damaging the pharmacy, emergency department, and the neighboring St. Philip’s church.
"We are in complete shock," Dr. Yousef Al-Haddad, a physiotherapy specialist at the hospital, told Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). "As I speak to you, I'm surrounded by piles of rubble and destruction. The laboratory was the only one in Gaza that provided a range of tests unavailable in any other hospital—and now it's been entirely lost. Emergency and reception services were shared between the al-Ahli Hospital and al-Shifa Hospital, with our hospital taking the lead as it was the only hospital equipped with a CT scanner. Now, following last night's attack, these services have entirely ceased. This will undoubtedly increase the pressure on al-Shifa Hospital, which is already operating with a smaller capacity."
In the rushed evacuation, critically ill patients had to be moved into the streets in the cold. While no one died in blast itself, the hurried evacuation resulted in three deaths, including that of a 12-year-old boy who was being treated for a head injury.
"He was on oxygen, as were the two other patients, and the family basically walked with them to a nearby hospital, a very small facility with no capacity for the number of patients heading their way," Razan al-Nahhas, an emergency doctor who had previously worked at the hospital, told Al Jazeera. "And they [the patients] arrived dead."
A Red Crescent doctor told Middle East Eye that finding space for the evacuated patients could be difficult.
"All the hospitals are overcrowded and are unprepared for providing full medical services, this will surely reflect on the health of the wounded, the patients and it could result in the loss of their lives, the loss of their body parts, or could cause long-term disability," he said.
"Faith leaders in our nation and worldwide must speak out against the war of extermination being waged by Israel using the support of the U.S. government and with American taxpayer dollars."
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on social media that 50 patients had been moved to other hospitals, while 40 were too ill or injured to relocate.
"Hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law," Gheybreyesus continued. "Attacks on healthcare must stop. Once again we repeat: Patients, health workers, and hospitals must be protected. The aid blockade must be lifted. Cease-fire."
MAP called on the international community "to take immediate action to protect Gaza's hospitals and medical personnel."
"There must be an immediate and permanent cease-fire, an end to all arms transfers to Israel, and full accountability for repeated violations of international law, including the deliberate targeting of hospitals," the group wrote. "Israel must be held to its legal obligation to repair the destruction it has caused to Gaza's health infrastructure and allow unimpeded humanitarian access in line with the orders of the International Court of Justice."
Al-Ahli Hospital first grabbed international attention early in the war, when a bombing in October 2023 killed hundreds of people. At the time, Israel denied that it had launched the attack. However, since then, it has attacked the hospital four times including on Sunday.
Religious groups also condemned the timing of the attack on Palm Sunday, a sacred celebration for Christians in Palestine and around the world.
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine said, "The attack, carried out on Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, constitutes a grave violation of religious sanctity and fundamental principles of international humanitarian law."
"The far-right Israeli government has shown time and again it is willing to violate religious norms, whether targeting Palestinian Christians or Muslims, in its genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people," the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement. "Faith leaders in our nation and worldwide must speak out against the war of extermination being waged by Israel using the support of the U.S. government and with American taxpayer dollars. We call on the Trump administration to similarly condemn this attack."
Israel, for its part, said that the hospital was targeted because it was a "command and control" center for the militant group Hamas, according to Middle East Eye. However, it did not provide any evidence.
The hospital bombing was only one of several attacks carried out by Israel in Gaza on Sunday, which together killed at least 21 people, The Associated Press reported.
It also followed Israel's claim on Saturday that it had succeeded in isolating Rafah in the south from the rest of the Gaza Strip, according to Al Jazeera. Israel had promised to cordon off the city earlier in the week.
As of Sunday, the Gaza's Health Ministry said that Israel's assault on Gaza since October 7, 2023 had killed at least 50,944 Palestinians and injured 116,156. More than 1,500 of those deaths have occurred since Israel ended a tentative cease-fire on March 18.
Gov. Shapiro and Family Evacuated From Governor's Mansion After Arson Attack
"Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished," Shapiro said.
Apr 13, 2025
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were evacuated early Sunday morning after an apparent arson attack on the official governor's residence.
"Last night at about 2:00 am, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg," Shapiro said in a statement posted on social media.
The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire responded to the fire, which "caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence" before it was "successfully extinguished," the Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement. The fire was in a different part of the house from where the governor and his family were staying.
"While the investigation is ongoing, the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson," their statement read.
Shapiro was considered a leading contender to serve as former Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 election. He has been floated as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in the 2028 election.
Shapiro and his family celebrated Passover the night before the fire.
In his message, Shapiro expressed gratitude for the first responders.
"Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished," he said.
Police offered up to $10,000 for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
"No additional information will be released at this time. However, this is a fast-moving investigation, and details will be provided as appropriate," the police concluded.
The attack comes as there is growing concern over political violence in the U.S., as The New York Times explained:
Recent high-profile incidents of violence directed at political figures have helped feed fear and unease among Americans, polls have shown. Before the presidential election last year, for instance, about 4 in 10 voters said they were extremely or very concerned about violent attempts to challenge the outcome. The assassination attempt against President Trump last summer took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, a little over 200 miles west of Harrisburg.
Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, a Democrat, was one of several state leaders who spoke out against politically motivated violence in their response to the fire.
"I won't speculate on motivations," he wrote on social media, "but I will say that targeting elected officials and their family members with violence is never acceptable. These sorts of acts deter good people from pursuing public service at a time when we desperately need more Americans to participate in our democracy."
Following Record-Breaking LA Rally, Sanders Takes Fighting Message to Coachella
"We need you to stand up to fight for justice—fight for economic justice, social justice, and racial justice," Sanders told the festivalgoers.
Apr 13, 2025
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders capped off a record-breaking Los Angeles stop on his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour with Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Saturday by making a surprise appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.
Sanders took the festival stage Saturday night to introduce singer-songwriter Clairo—whom he praised for using her platform to fight for women's rights and "to try to end the terrible, brutal war in Gaza." Before introducing the singer, he shared a message with the young people in the crowd.
"The country faces some very difficult challenges, and the future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation," Sanders said to cheers. "Now you can turn away and you can ignore what goes on, but if you do that, you do it at your own peril. We need you to stand up to fight for justice—fight for economic justice, social justice, and racial justice."
Sanders criticized U.S. President Donald Trump in particular for his denial of the climate emergency.
"Now we've got a president of the United States," Sanders began, only to be interrupted by a chorus of boos.
"I agree," he said, continuing to lament that Trump "thinks climate change is a hoax. He is dangerously wrong."
Sanders: We’ve got a president of the United States who— Crowd: Boooo Sanders: I agree
[image or embed]
— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) April 12, 2025 at 10:14 PM
"You and I are going to have to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them to stop destroying this planet," Sanders said.
He also urged the audience to stand up for women's rights, an economy that prioritizes the working class over billionaires, and the right to healthcare.
His speech at Coachella came after he addressed a crowd of tens of thousands with Ocasio-Cortez at Los Angeles' Gloria Molina Grand Park Saturday afternoon. Writing on social media, Sanders said the event drew a crowd of 36,000, breaking the record he and the New York representative set in Denver in March.
"Your presence here today is making Donald Trump and Elon Musk very nervous," Sanders said as he announced the record to the crowed.
The pair repeated many of the themes that have defined the "Fight Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here" tour since Sanders launched it in February to counter both the billionaire takeover of the U.S. government and the move toward authoritarianism under Trump.
"We're living in a moment where a handful of billionaires control the economic and political life… We're living in a moment where the president has no understanding or respect for the Constitution of the United States, and let us make no doubt about it, moving us rapidly toward an authoritarian form of society," Sanders said Saturday afternoon, as the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
"And, Mr. Trump, we ain't going down," he said.
Ocasio-Cortez called out "Trump's corrupt and disastrous tariff scheme" that played out over the past week, in which the president announced new tariffs on Tuesday only to declare a pause when the market fell, causing it to rally again. The incident has sparked suspicions of insider trading.
"It's been despair every day. And being around all these people and hearing these messages is helpful right now."
"I hope that we all see now that the White House's tariff shuffle here didn't have anything to do with manufacturing like they claimed," she said. "It was about manipulating the markets. It was about hurting retirees and everyday people in the sell-off, so Trump could quietly enrich his friends whom he nudged to buy the dip before reversing it all in the morning."
AOC also criticized the culture of playing the stock market in U.S. Congress, saying the body and its members "have somehow conditioned itself to actually believe that it is normal for elected representatives who swear an oath to the American people to day trade individual stocks that make millions with the sensitive information we are entrusted with for the purpose of governing."
"How can anyone possibly make an objective vote on healthcare, energy, or war when their personal money is tied up in pharmaceutical, oil and gas, or defense company stock?" she asked, before concluding, "They can't."
At Saturday's rally, the two lawmakers were also joined by musical guests Neil Young, Joan Baez, The Red Pears, Maggie Rogers, Indigo de Souza, and the Raise Gospel Choir, as well as other progressive politicians and community leaders including Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), District 1 LA City Councilmember Eunissess Hernandez, California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzalez, and SEIU President April Verrett.
The event inspired hope in several of the 36,000 attendees, with Myylo Lewis of Silver Lake, California telling The Guardian that Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders were the "closest thing to a version of America you actually want to live in."
"I needed this right now," 32-year-old Tracy Setto of Palmdale told the Los Angeles Daily News. "It's been despair every day. And being around all these people and hearing these messages is helpful right now."
David Rasmussen, meanwhile, felt inspired.
"We've all got to rise up together, fight it, push it back, make something else happen because this cannot go on," Rasmussen told Al Jazeera.
The Los Angeles event was the first in a five-day Western swing of the tour. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez will next appear in Salt Lake City on Sunday evening, followed by stops in Nampa, Idaho; Bakersfield, California; Folsom, California; and Missoula, Montana.
"The American people, whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, do not want billionaires to control our government or buy our elections," Sanders said in a statement announcing the Western part of his tour. "They do not want Republicans to decimate Social Security and the Veterans Administration. They do not want huge tax breaks for the wealthiest people in the country paid for by massive cuts to Medicaid and other programs that working families rely on. That is why I will be visiting Republican-held districts all over the Western United States. When we are organized and fight back, we can defeat oligarchy."
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