Nomination of Vanita Gupta

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I would guess if the American people could give us a word of advice in the Senate, they would suggest that we do our best to work together and to try to establish priorities and meet them, and that we try to bring to the new administration of President Joseph Biden the most competent and qualified people that we can to help our Nation through this pandemic and our economic recovery. It is in that spirit that I close the debate on Vanita Gupta to be the next Associate Attorney General of the United States.

Yesterday's verdict in Minnesota certainly caught the attention of many in America and across the world. The killing of George Floyd was resolved in a court of law. Sadly, he will not be with us, but his legacy lives on, and it depends on us to use that legacy to make America a better nation.

Can we really come together and put law enforcement at the table with community leaders and civil rights leaders and find common ground?

Can we keep our streets and communities and neighborhoods safe and do it without discrimination against any person or group in America?

These are big challenges--tough challenges. But to meet them, we need the right people in positions of leadership. Vanita Gupta is one of those people.

As a former civil rights advocate, she did extraordinary things--in Tulia, TX, and many other places--to show progress in the area of civil rights.

As a former acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of civil rights, she worked with law enforcement organizations to try to resolve the very problems that we have seen in Minnesota and Illinois and virtually in every other State. She is a dedicated professional with an extraordinary resume who wants to continue to serve this Nation.

Will she be able to work with law enforcement groups? Well, they think so because they support her. There is a long litany: National Sheriffs' Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major Cities Chiefs, 53 former police chiefs or sheriffs, the Police Executive Research Forum, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. The list goes on and on.

But the simplest statement that was made comes from a pretty hard- nosed group, the Fraternal Order of Police, and those who are in politics know you have to work to earn their support. Here is what they said about Vanita Gupta: ``Gupta always worked with us to find common ground, even when that seemed impossible.''

Isn't that exactly what we want at this moment in American history as we cope with the civil rights challenges of our age? This is our chance.

I hope the Senate, with its vote--I hope it is a bipartisan vote-- will give Vanita Gupta the chance to serve America again.

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