Vanita Gupta Named Associate Attorney General

Civil rights attorney Vanita Gupta was narrowly confirmed by the Senate in a 51-49 vote as the United States Associate Attorney General at the Department of Justice. Gupta is the first woman of color to serve in this post, as well as the first civil rights attorney.

The GOP strongly objected to her confirmation due to statements she made on Twitter about the 2020 GOP Convention, calling the meeting racist and xenophobic. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was the sole Republican to confirm Gupta to her new role.

In her new role as third-in-charge at the Justice Department, Gupta will advise and assist both the attorney general and the deputy attorney general in developing policies and programs relating to civil justice, federal and local law enforcement and public safety.

Gupta previously headed the Justice Department’s civil rights arm under the Obama administration and also served in roles at the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. While not a healthcare leader, we’re spotlighting Gupta’s confirmation due to Gupta’s history of investigating police departments in racist shootings. We at The Whipp consider racism to be a health issue in the United States in addition to a civil rights issue.