Senate puts Barr back into AG post
Set to oversee rest of Mueller probe
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday confirmed William Barr as attorney general, placing the veteran government official and lawyer atop the Justice Department as special counsel Robert Mueller investigates Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The Senate voted 54-45 to confirm him, mostly along party lines. Barr, who previously served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993, will succeed Jeff Sessions. Trump pushed Sessions out of office last year after railing against his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.
As the country’s chief law enforcement officer, Barr will oversee the remaining work in Mueller’s investigation into potential coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign and decide how much Congress and the public know about its conclusion. He’ll also take over a department that Trump has publicly assailed, often questioning the integrity and loyalty of those who work there.
Democrats, who largely voted against Barr, said they were concerned about his non-committal stance on making Mueller’s report public. Barr promised to be as transparent as possible, but said he takes seriously the Justice Department regulations that dictate Mueller’s report should be treated as confidential.
When Trump nominated Barr, he called him “a terrific man” and “one of the most respected jurists in the country.”
“I think he will serve with great distinction,” Trump said.
Lawmakers in both parties have said a permanent replacement for Sessions was urgently needed.
“All I can say is if America ever needed a steady hand at the Department of Justice, it is now,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said on the Senate floor Tuesday. Acting Attorney General “Mr. (Matthew) Whitaker has done a good job as interim attorney general, but we are looking for a new person to bring stability, improve morale, and be a steady hand and mature leadership at a time when our country is very much divided.”
Graham said Barr stood out “head and shoulders” above others who could have been nominated.
“To the American people, you can go to bed here soon knowing that the Department of Justice is in good hands,” Graham said.
Three Democrats — Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — joined Republicans in voting to confirm Barr. GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican who voted no. He cited concerns about Barr’s views on surveillance, among other issues.