Senate votes to confirm Trump pick William Barr as new attorney general - The Hill

The Senate voted Thursday to approve William Barr as attorney general, giving the Justice Department its first confirmed chief since President TrumpDonald John TrumpLawmakers introduce bill to fund government, prevent shutdown Trump mulling 60-day delay for China tariff deadline Contractor back pay not included in shutdown deal MORE ousted Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsUnited Methodist churches may cut ties with denomination over push to allow LGBT ministers Former Trump aide launches coalition to pass new NAFTA Is a presidential appointment worth the risk? MORE last fall.

Senators voted 54-45 for Barr’s nomination, capping off a relatively low-drama fight over Trump’s second pick for the post. Barr was largely on a glide path after he cleared the Judiciary Committee and a procedural vote without any missteps that threatened GOP support for his nomination.

Sen. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulSenate poised to confirm Trump’s attorney general pick Manchin to vote for Trump’s attorney general pick Paul to oppose Trump's AG nominee MORE (Ky.) was the only Republican who voted against Barr on Thursday, while Democratic Sens. Joe ManchinJoseph (Joe) ManchinSenate poised to confirm Trump’s attorney general pick Senate votes to extend key funding mechanism for parks Manchin to vote for Trump’s attorney general pick MORE (W.Va.), Doug Jones (Ala.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) broke with their party and supported him.

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Democrats have 47 seats in the Senate. With Manchin, Jones and Sinema voting earlier in the week to advance Barr’s nomination, Democrats would have needed to flip six Republicans in addition to Paul to sink his nomination.

But Republicans largely rallied behind Barr, who previously served as attorney general under former President George H.W. Bush and is returning to the helm of a department that has been at the center of Trump's longtime criticism over the federal Russia probe.

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamOvernight Defense: House votes to end US support for Saudis in Yemen | Vote puts Trump in veto bind | Survey finds hazards in military housing | Senators offer new bill on Russia sanctions On The Money: Lawmakers race to pass border deal | Trump rips 'stingy' Democrats, but says shutdown would be 'terrible' | Battle over contractor back pay | Banking panel kicks off data security talks Bipartisan Senators reintroduce legislation to slap new sanctions on Russia MORE (R-S.C.), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, characterized Barr as an “outstanding” pick to lead the agency, which has been under the leadership of acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker since Sessions was ousted in November.

Sen. Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyOvernight Health Care — Sponsored by America's 340B Hospitals — Utah tests Trump on Medicaid expansion | Dems roll out Medicare buy-in proposal | Medicare for all could get hearing next month | Doctors group faces political risks on guns Trump raises fracking, abortion in meeting with Cuomo Overnight Health Care — Sponsored by America's 340B Hospitals — Powerful House committee turns to drug pricing | Utah governor defies voters on Medicaid expansion | Dems want answers on controversial new opioid MORE (R-Iowa), the former chairman and current member of the Judiciary panel, added that Barr will be “a straight shooter and an individual who is willing to engage in productive discussion with Congress.”

Democrats have raised concerns for weeks over Barr’s views on executive power and special counsel Robert MuellerRobert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE’s probe into the 2016 election. As attorney general, Barr is set to take over oversight of the investigation, which is also reportedly examining whether Trump sought to obstruct justice by interfering in the probe.

Trump's fight with former top law enforcement officials was brought back into the forefront on Thursday after former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabeAndrew George McCabeWhy an obstruction case against Donald Trump will most likely fail McCabe accuses Trump of acting like mob boss in new book: report McCabe: Rosenstein wrote Comey memo under duress MORE revealed that he opened a probe into whether Trump obstructed justice when he fired FBI Director James ComeyJames Brien ComeyWhy an obstruction case against Donald Trump will most likely fail Criminal investigation of Trump's business dealings may overshadow any 'Mueller report' Former senior FBI official calls Whitaker hearing ‘disgraceful’ MORE in May 2017.

McCabe also said that top Justice Department officials were so concerned about Trump’s decision to fire Comey that they discussed an effort to remove him from office by invoking the 25th Amendment. Deputy Attorney General Rod RosensteinRod Jay RosensteinWhy an obstruction case against Donald Trump will most likely fail Criminal investigation of Trump's business dealings may overshadow any 'Mueller report' Five takeaways from acting AG's fiery House hearing MORE, who has been overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe since 2017, has denied the 25th Amendment talk.

Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerChristie: Trump doesn’t give nicknames to people he respects Cuomo to meet with Trump over SALT deduction cap Bill setting US policy in Middle East makes world safer MORE (D-N.Y.) said before the vote on Barr on Thursday that the circumstances around Mueller’s probe make the threshold for supporting an attorney general nominee higher than normal.

“The next attorney general must be a public servant in the truest sense, with the integrity, the force of will, and the independence to navigate the Justice Department – and maybe our democracy – through treacherous waters. Mr. Barr’s attitude: leave it to me. That is not good enough,” Schumer said.

He added that Barr “does not recognize nor appreciate the moment we’re in."

Barr circulated an unsolicited memo on Mueller’s probe last year, including with the White House, describing the investigation as based on a “fatally misconceived” theory and as something that would do “lasting damage” to the presidency.

Barr told senators during his confirmation hearing last month that he would let Mueller finish his investigation, that Trump would not be allowed to "correct" Mueller's final report and that he would make Mueller's findings public in accordance with the law.

Democratic Sen. Cory BookerCory Anthony BookerPoll: Biden, Sanders, Harris early Dem favorites in New Hampshire Dems offer smaller step toward ‘Medicare for all' Holder says he will make 2020 decision in coming weeks MORE (N.J.), who is running for his party’s 2020 nomination, also pointed to Barr’s views on criminal justice reform and racial inequality within the justice system as part of the reason he voted against the nomination.

“We need an attorney general that grasps the urgency of the moment, who is aware of the impact of the Department of Justice on communities across this country,” Booker said, “and who is willing and prepared to protect our most fundamental rights.”

Paul, the only Republican to vote "no," said he had concerns about Barr’s views on privacy. Paul has frequently sparred with GOP leadership on surveillance and foreign policy issues. He voted against CIA Director Gina Haspel last year and threatened to vote against Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: House votes to end US support for Saudis in Yemen | Vote puts Trump in veto bind | Survey finds hazards in military housing | Senators offer new bill on Russia sanctions Pompeo: US will hold Russia accountable for poisoning of ex-spy in UK The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by the American Academy of HIV Medicine - Getting Trump to ‘yes’ on border security deal MORE’s secretary of State nomination before doing a last-minute reversal.

“I have too many concerns about the record and views of this nominee. Bill Barr was a leading proponent of warrantless surveillance, and his overall record on the Fourth Amendment is troubling to me. I remain concerned that Bill Barr does not agree with our bipartisan efforts to reform our criminal justice system,” Paul said after an initial vote earlier this week.

He added that he believed Barr also has a “troubling record on the Second Amendment.”

Barr served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under Bush. He’s also spent more than a decade in corporate roles before joining the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

He’ll succeed Whitaker in the top Justice Department spot. Whitaker, who was previously Sessions’s chief of staff, has been filling the role in an acting capacity. Whitaker’s views on Mueller have earned him criticism from Congress, including his suggestion that Mueller would be crossing a “red line” by investigating Trump’s finances.

Updated: 1:40 p.m.

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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/430025-senate-confirms-trump-pick-william-barr-as-new-attorney-general

2019-02-14 18:09:10Z