The Senate just confirmed William Barr to be President Trump’s new attorney general, a vote that garnered some Democratic support in spite of broader party opposition and ongoing questions regarding his oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. Republicans broadly voted in favor of Barr. They were joined by Democrats Doug Jones (AL), Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), all of whom are from states where Trump remains popular. This is Barr’s second turn as attorney general; he also served during the George H.W. Bush administration, and will again have jurisdiction over a wide-ranging set of issues from immigration enforcement to criminal justice reform to the Mueller investigation. The last of these has been one of the chief sticking points of his confirmation — especially because he has not committed to disclosing the Mueller report in full once it has been completed. “The defining question for me was his declining to commit to release the Special Counsel’s report fully and completely,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said in a statement. “He chose not to make the commitment that he would release that report completely and directly to Congress and the American people.” Democrats pressed Barr numerous times during his confirmation hearing on his reticence to share the entirety of the Mueller report with Congress. He repeatedly said he’d only release “as much information available as [he] can.” As Vox’s Andrew Prokop reported, he also did not agree to follow the guidance of ethics officials if they ask him to recuse himself from oversight of the Mueller investigation. These responses, along with a memo that Barr sent the Justice Department questioning Mueller’s obstruction of justice case against the president, had many Democrats wondering if he was simply auditioning for the AG job, especially after Trump repeatedly slammed Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from the Russian investigation. In the assurances he did offer, however, Barr said he would enable the Mueller investigation to go on unimpeded and emphasized that it was strongly unlikely that he would fire Mueller. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is rumored to be stepping down after Barr’s confirmation, has also said he was confident in Barr’s ability to oversee the probe, and that Barr did not at the time of writing the memo have “the actual facts of the case.” In the face of overwhelming Democratic pushback, Republicans argued that Barr is exceedingly qualified for the job, and noted that he was unanimously confirmed for the position the last time he was up for a Senate vote in 1991. Who is William Barr? Trump nominated William Barr, a conservative lawyer and attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, to be the next attorney general in December. (Barr’s nomination came a month after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned at Trump’s request. Trump initially tapped Sessions’s chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, to serve as acting attorney general, a questionable appointment whose main qualifications appeared to be defending Trump against the Mueller probe in the press.) Barr joined the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel in 1989 and rose through the ranks quickly, becoming deputy attorney general in April of that year and then attorney general in 1991 under Bush. Barr served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993, and was one of the youngest people ever to hold the position at the time. After his tenure, Barr moved into the private sector; he worked as general counsel for Verizon and later joined the firm Kirkland & Ellis. He told associates, according to CNN, that he was willing to come back to the Justice Department out of “a sense of patriotism.” Given Whitaker’s presence at the Department of Justice, Barr’s nomination was met with some relief: He might be the best-case scenario for a Trump Justice Department appointee. Barr is undoubtedly qualified — he’s a former attorney general, after all — and his past experience meant he likely had knowledge of and respect for the norms and institutions of the DOJ. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general who has overseen the Mueller investigation since Sessions recused himself, reportedly greeted the news enthusiastically, as did other DOJ employees. Barr’s honeymoon phase was somewhat short-lived as his record underwent closer scrutiny. Advocates for immigrants and for criminal justice reform raised red flags about his tenure as attorney general in the 1990s. According to a 1992 Los Angeles Times article, he sought to turn the Justice Department “from a reactive institution” into an “agenda-setting agency,” tackling violent crime, gangs, and tighter immigration controls, among other issues. Then there’s Barr’s aggressive and expansive view of executive power. Barr, in his past writings, including a July 1989 memo, embraced a strong “unitary executive” view. The doctrine posits that the powers of the executive branch are vested in the president, which means he has full control over executive agencies, and it questions how much Congress can limit or control the president’s executive powers. There are also questions about how Barr handled presidential investigations in the past. He was involved with some controversial pardons of people involved in the Iran-Contra scandal at the tail end of the Bush administration. Bush, ahead of the 1992 election, wiped away the convictions of six people, including former Reagan Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, who had been set to go to trial for lying to Congress. The pardons effectively ended the investigation. Barr, in a 2001 interview, defended those pardons. Barr’s comments and statements during the Trump era also have some worried about what his appointment might mean for the Mueller investigation. In a 2017 Washington Post article about members of Mueller’s team having donated to Democrats, Barr told the Post he thought it was a sign that the prosecutors might have had a strong party affiliation. “I would have liked to see him have more balance on this group,” he said. Barr wasn’t alone in criticizing the optics of the donations, but others thought it merely played into Trump’s tactics to discredit the probe. Barr was quoted in a New York Times article last November discussing the president’s call to the Justice Department to investigate Hillary Clinton.<doc-sep>The Senate voted Thursday to approve William Barr as attorney general, giving the Justice Department its first confirmed chief since President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE ousted Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsCNN reporter's phone and email records secretly obtained by Trump administration: report Biden looks to expand legal assistance for minorities, low-income Americans One quick asylum fix: How Garland can help domestic violence survivors 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 Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulRand Paul responds to Colbert on vaccines: 'Try to ignore your bias' Suspicious package sent to Rand Paul home appears nontoxic, sheriff says Rand Paul receives suspicious package containing white powder at home MORE (Ky.) was the only Republican who voted against Barr on Thursday, while Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin Joe ManchinSchumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission Manchin, Sinema press GOP senators on Jan. 6 commission MORE (W.Va.), Doug Jones (Ala.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) broke with their party and supported him. ADVERTISEMENT 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 Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission Police reform fight hinges on qualified immunity On The Money: White House counters with .7 trillion infrastructure proposal, GOP unimpressed | USDA to start loan forgiveness for thousands of minority farmers 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 Grassley Chuck GrassleyDemocratic feud erupts over scope of military sexual assault bill First Democrat announces Senate bid against Iowa's Grassley GOP senators introduce bill to reimpose waived Nord Stream sanctions 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 Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerSenate Democrats urge Garland not to fight court order to release Trump obstruction memo Why a special counsel is guaranteed if Biden chooses Yates, Cuomo or Jones as AG Barr taps attorney investigating Russia probe origins as special counsel 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 McCabe Andrew George McCabeThe FBI should turn off the FARA faucet John Durham's endgame: Don't expect criminal charges Carter Page sues over surveillance related to Russia probe MORE revealed that he opened a probe into whether Trump obstructed justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeyThe FBI should turn off the FARA faucet Barr threatened to resign over Trump attempts to fire Wray: report 'Fox News Sunday' to mark 25 years on air 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 Rosenstein Rod RosensteinProtect the police or the First Amendment? Rosenstein: Zero tolerance immigration policy 'never should have been proposed or implemented' Comey argues Trump shouldn't be prosecuted after leaving Oval Office MORE, who has been overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe since 2017, has denied the 25th Amendment talk. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSchumer says Senate will move on Biden's infrastructure agenda in July Senate confirms Biden pick to lead Medicare, Medicaid office Pelosi presses for Senate action on Jan. 6 commission: 'No time to waste' 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 Booker Cory BookerBiden, Bass press for police reform after meeting Floyd family Bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduces bill to give inmates Medicaid access Bass: 'Essential' for police reform bill to address qualified immunity 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.<doc-sep>William Barr is expected to be confirmed as the attorney general by the Senate in the coming days. | M. Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO Congress Senate advances Barr attorney general nomination The Senate advanced William Barr’s nomination to be attorney general on a key procedural vote Tuesday, paving the way for his confirmation later this week. The Senate agreed to end debate on the appointment on a 55-44 vote, with three Democrats joining nearly every Republican in voting for Barr. Although Barr is expected to be confirmed by the Senate in the coming days, he came under scrutiny during his confirmation hearing from Senate Democrats wondering how he’d handle special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and whether Barr would make public Mueller’s final report. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) praised Barr after the Senate vote and said he was confident the attorney general nominee would allow Mueller to finish his investigation without political interference. Graham predicted that when it came to Mueller's final report, Barr would "err on the side of transparency." Sign up here for POLITICO Huddle A daily play-by-play of congressional news in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. "When it comes to Bill Barr, I can only tell my Democratic colleagues there is nobody better that I know to recommend to you," he said. "This is as good as it gets on our side." Democrats also blasted Barr for a memo he wrote last year to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, in which he criticized Mueller’s investigation into possible obstruction of justice by the president and called it “fatally misconceived.” Although Tuesday’s vote was largely along party lines, Democratic Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona voted for Barr. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote against him. Paul told POLITICO on Monday he opposed Barr’s nomination because he was concerned Barr would not sufficiently safeguard privacy rights. A simple majority is required for confirmation. Senate approval would give Barr a second stint as attorney general; he also led the Justice Department under President George H.W. Bush. Trump nominated Barr to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had angered the president by recusing himself from the Russia investigation.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats delayed a Judiciary Committee vote Tuesday until next week on William Barr’s nomination to become attorney general, so they could gather more information about how he planned to oversee the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Democrats had legitimate questions about whether Barr's broad views of presidential power would lead to his keeping parts of special counsel Robert Mueller's final report secret. The delay is relatively routine for nominees, and Graham still expects Barr to be confirmed. The committee scheduled the vote for Feb. 7. "I urged this president to pick (Barr) because I think he's a steady hand when we need one," Graham said. Barr told senators he would release as much detail as possible about Mueller's findings. But he also cited a Justice Department policy to avoid publishing derogatory information about people who aren’t charged criminally. The department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has an opinion that a sitting president can’t be indicted, and several Democrats worried that the combination of those two things could lead Barr to keep confidential parts of the report dealing with President Donald Trump. “We're both lawyers, and we know there are weasel words that can be put into sentences,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. "The question of what transparency is consistent with the law is a ginormous loophole in his transparency pledge." Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she was concerned about Barr’s broad claims of executive privilege, potentially allowing Trump to block the Mueller report or fire a prosecutor. “This memo is of serious concern to me and appears to be seminal to his appointment,” Feinstein said. “If this were applied, there would be little check on the president’s actions.” Graham said Whitehouse raised good points and said he would ask Barr about those issues. “The OLC office being used to knock out information to the public is really a legitimate question," Graham said. "Executive privilege claim by any White House not to divulge information is a legitimate question." More:Attorney general nominee William Barr says he would resign rather than fire Mueller 'without good cause' More:Top 5 moments from first day of William Barr's confirmation hearing for attorney general More:What you need to know about Trump's attorney general nominee, William Barr<doc-sep>
CEO of ADL: Seeing a 'blitzkrieg of anti-Jewish' acts across US Dana Bash: This is so telling about where the Republican party is NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Trump Tower stands on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on August 24, 2018 in New York City. Following new allegations over hush money that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid to an adult-film actress, the Manhattan district attorneyÕs office in New York City may seek criminal charges against the Trump Organization in the coming days. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 08: US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA) remarks on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the US Capitol November 8, 2006 in Washington, DC. Warner said he supports President George W. Bush's nomination of former CIA Director Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense. Warner said he anticipates Gates' confirmation before the end of the year. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), joined by Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and Senate Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), speaks following a Senate Republican Policy luncheon at the Russell Senate Office Building on May 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. Hear what Matt Gaetz said about Paul Ryan before his speech Former GOP senator: If McConnell said this, 'it's shameful' 'Some people have no shame': Biden calls out GOP lawmakers with list (CNN) — A Senate panel voted on party lines Thursday to advance President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee William Barr, setting up a confirmation vote next week that will underscore the deep partisan divide over the nomination, particularly concerning how Barr would oversee the special counsel investigation. Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary committee have said that Barr, the former attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, is qualified for the position. In 1991, he was confirmed to it without opposition. But Democrats said Thursday that Barr, 68, has to be scrutinized under what Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont called the “extraordinary circumstances” of 2019, as special counsel Robert Mueller has obtained 37 indictments on various charges during his investigation. All 12 Republicans on the panel voted for Barr, while all 10 Democrats voted against him. In supporting Barr’s nomination, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham said, “I think we need a steady hand at the Department of Justice.” In their opposition, Democrats cited a memo Barr wrote last year to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein before he was nominated objecting to the obstruction aspect of the Mueller probe as “fatally misconceived” and said, “Mueller should not be permitted to demand that the President submit to interrogation about alleged obstruction.” Barr argued that Trump asking former FBI director James Comey to let go of the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and later firing Comey were within his powers as head of the executive branch. On Thursday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary committee, called the memo “disqualifying,” saying Barr’s theory would leave the President “above the law in most respects.” She also criticized Barr for not committing to publicly releasing Mueller’s findings. In his hearing, Barr pledged to release “as much as I can” of Mueller’s findings to the public, to provide Mueller with the resources and time to finish the job, to not terminate Mueller without good cause and to notify Congress if he denied a major request during the investigation. He said he would resign “if someone tried to stop a bonafide, lawful investigation to try to cover up wrongdoing.” Graham said that he agreed with Barr’s position, saying the President has “a lot of latitude” in firing somebody. He added that his “main goal” is to make sure that Mueller finishes his report “without interference” and trusts that Barr would “share as much as he reasonably can,” while protecting confidential information. In January, two senators on the committee, Sens. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, introduced legislation requiring a special counsel to submit a report to Congress. On Thursday, Sen. John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, said that he would vote for it even though he said the “only question” is whether the Mueller report is going to leak “in toto” or in part. “The American people are entitled to see the facts and judge for themselves,” Kennedy said. CNN’s Ariane de Vogue and Laura Jarrett contributed to this report.