Biden Cabinet members actions and issues: on Crime


Merrick Garland: OpEd: deferential to police; lack of accountability

Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation, says Garland is an "underwhelming" pick, given his judicial record. "People need to remember that Garland was picked for the Supreme Court because he was a compromise candidate," says Mystal. "This is a centrist jurist who has a history -- a troubling history, to me -- of being deferential to police and being unwilling to hold police accountable for acts of brutality and misconduct."
Source: Democracy Now blog on 2021 Biden Cabinet Jan 8, 2021

Xavier Becerra: Committed to combatting sexual violence

Sexual violence derives from unequal power relationships and is one of the most common violations of people's rights. Attorney General Becerra is committed to combatting sexual violence in all its forms.
Source: California Attorney General website: Biden Cabinet Dec 16, 2020

Xavier Becerra: Eliminate bias in policing, reduce unnecessary force

Attorney General Becerra is committed to increasing fairness and transparency throughout the criminal justice system by effectively implementing California laws critical to eliminating bias in policing and reducing unnecessary uses of force; promoting evidence-based approaches and trainings to improve police practices across California; and investigating agencies for civil pattern or practice violations when there is evidence to suggest systemic police misconduct.
Source: California Attorney General website: Biden Cabinet Dec 16, 2020

Merrick Garland: Tends to defer to law enforcement, wartime executive power

While Garland is undoubtedly a legal liberal, his record tends to line up in favor of broad judicial deference to law enforcement and wartime executive power. In the area of criminal law, Garland's votes have frequently come down on the side of prosecutors and police. In 2010, SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein observed that "Judge Garland rarely votes in favor of criminal defendants' appeals of their convictions."
Source: Reason magazine on 2021 Biden Cabinet Jul 5, 2018

Marcia Fudge: Violent Ferguson police like response to foreign uprisings

The chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus said the actions of the police in Ferguson reminded her of wars abroad. "An elected official was arrested, journalists are being assaulted and innocent, unarmed individuals are having weapons pointed in their faces for merely being outside of their homes," said Rep. Marcia Fudge. "What I saw last night reminded me of violent responses to uprisings in countries around the world, not here in my own backyard. We are supposed to be better than that."
Source: Buzzfeed blog on Biden Cabinet Aug 14, 2014

  • The above quotations are from Biden Cabinet members actions and issues.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Biden on Crime.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Crime:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: May 20, 2021