Merrick Garland got emotional for a second time during a Judiciary hearing on Wednesday when talking about his family’s Jewish ancestry.

The Attorney General got into a heated exchange with Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew when asked whether Garland, who is Jewish, believes traditional Catholics are violent extremists.

Van Drew was pointing to the creation by two Pacific Coast FBI field offices that wrote a memo claiming traditional Catholics are domestic terrorists.

‘The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous! So absurd!’ Garland shot at Rep. Van Drew during a tense back-and-forth.

AG Garland appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to testify as Republicans alleged the Justice Department has political bias against them.

During his opening remarks, Garland remarked that he feels he ‘owes a debt’ to the U.S. after taking in his grandmother, who was fleeing the Holocaust. During his opening statement, Garland got choked up and tears came to his eyes when discussing his ancestry.

He got emotional again when speaking with Van Drew about potential biases against Catholics.

Attorney General Merrick Garland got emotional for a second time at the House Judiciary hearing Wednesday during a heated exchange with Rep. Jeff Van Drew about whether he believes ‘traditional Catholics are violent extremists’

Garland, who has Jewish ancestry, shot back at Van Drew:’The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous! So absurd!’

‘The two tiered system of justice is clear and it’s clear to the American public. And the buck stops with the man in charge. That man is you,’ Van Drew said during his questioning of the Biden DOJ head.

‘The actions of the DOJ are on you,’ he continued.

‘Attorney General, I need a simple yes or no to the following. Just yes or no because we don’t have much time. Do you agree that traditional Catholics are violent extremists, yes or no?’

‘Let me answer what you’ve said in that long list of –’ Garland began before being cut off by Van Drew.

He insisted he wanted to ‘answer all’ of what Van Drew put forward, and not just the last ‘yes or no’ question.

‘Attorney General, I control the time,’ the New Jersey Republican asserted. ‘I’m gonna ask you to answer the questions I ask.’

‘Through the chair I ask you, do you agree that traditional Catholics are violent extremists? Answer the question,’ he pushed when Garland against tried to divert.

‘I have no idea what traditional means here, let me just –’ the Attorney General tried again.

‘Catholics!’ Van Drew shot back. ‘Catholics that go to church.’

‘May I answer your question?’ Garland said before appearing to tear up again.

‘The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous! So absurd!’ he said behind a cracking voice.

Garland assured that he and the FBI director were ‘appaled’ by the anti-Catholic memo.

Republicans called Garland as their anger escalated over his decision to pick David Weiss as the special counsel investigating Hunter Biden, 53.

The hearing comes days after Weiss charged Hunter with three felony charges for lying on a federal form to purchase a firearm.

But the Justice Department head insisted: ‘I’m gonna say again and say again if necessary – I did not interfere… I left it to Mr Weiss to bring charges or not.’

Attorney General Merrick Garland got choked up during his opening remarks at a Judiciary hearing Wednesday when talking about his ‘debt’ to the U.S. for taking in his family fleeing the Holocaust

Republicans are peeved Garland picked Jack Smith as the special counsel investigating Hunter Biden. ‘Americans believe, today in our country, there is unequal application of the law. They believe that because there is,’ Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said in his opening statement 

‘Americans believe, today in our country, there is unequal application of the law. They believe that because there is,’ Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said in his opening statement.

A few moments later, Garland pushed-back, saying: ‘Our job is not to do what is politically convenient. Our job is not to take orders from the President, from Congress or from anyone else about who or what to criminally investigate.’

‘I am not the President’s lawyer,’ Garland continued. ‘I will add – I am not Congress’s prosecutor. The Justice Department works for the American people.’

Wednesday’s hearing put on display the heightening of partisan brawling that will continue at the Capitol next Thursday with House Republicans’ first impeachment hearing against President Biden and his family’s business dealings.

Judiciary Ranking Member Jerry Nadler said in his opening statement: ‘Republicans will continue doing what they’ve done for years: Discrediting anyone who does not serve their political goals – at any cost.’

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) asked Garland if he has had ‘any personal contact with anyone at FBI headquarters about the Hunter Biden investigation.’

Garland said he couldn’t ‘recollect the answer.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Rep. Johnson cut-in, ‘you don’t recollect whether you talked with anybody at FBI headquarters about an investigation into the President’s son?’

The Attorney General responded by reiterating he vowed to allow Special Counsel Weiss to carry out his investigation without interference, but said: ‘I don’t believe that I did.’

Garland repeatedly said during the hearing Wednesday that he did not ‘interfere’ in the investigation into Hunter Biden

During his opening remarks, Garland got personal, nearly breaking down into tears when telling the story of his family fleeing Europe during the Holocaust and coming to the United States.

‘My grandmother was one of five children born in what is now Belarus – made it to the United States as did two of her siblings, the other two did not. Those two were killed in the Holocaust. Without a doubt, but for America, the same thing would have happened to my grandmother,’ he said.

‘But this country took her in and under that protection, she was able to live without fear of persecution. That protection is what distinguishes this country from so many others. The protection of law, the rule of law, is the foundation of our system of government.’

Garland added: ‘Repaying this country for the debt my family owes for our lives, has been the focus of my entire professional career.’

‘That is why I served in the Justice Department under five different attorneys general, under both Democratic and Republican administrations. That is why I spent more than 25 years ensuring the rule of law as a judge, and that is why I left a lifetime appointment as a judge and came back to the Justice Department two and a half years ago. And that is why I’m here today.’

This anecdote was a way for Garland to share why it was so important to him to treat all people the same and apply Justice equally.

‘Our job is to uphold the rule of law – that means we apply the same laws to everyone,’ he insisted.

The Attorney General insisted: ‘There is not one set of laws for the powerful and another for the powerless, one for the rich and one for the poor, one for Democrats and another for Republicans.’