AP Photo/Alex Brandon
- Attorney general nominee William Barr appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation hearings on Tuesday.
-
Barr, 68, previously served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. Since then, he's worked as a corporate lawyer in private practice.
- Read INSIDER's full coverage of the hearings.
President Trump's nominee for attorney general, William Barr, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation hearings on Tuesday.
Barr, 68, previously served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. Since then, he's worked as a corporate lawyer in private practice.
While Barr is widely-respected in the conservative legal world, some of his opinions have garnered controversy. Barr came under scrutiny for sending an unsolicited 20-page memo to the DOJ criticizing special counsel Robert Mueller probe's line of investigation into possible obstruction of justice and witness tampering by Trump.
The memo called Mueller's inquiry into whether Trump obstructed justice when he fired FBI director James Comey "legally unsupportable" and "potentially disastrous."
But in his prepared remarks submitted to the Committee, Barr promised that "on my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work."
Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee have vowed to further press Barr on his views on the Mueller probe, executive power, and a range of other topics.
Read more of INSIDER's coverage of the Barr hearings:
- Meet William Barr: What you need to know about the possible once and future attorney general
-
Republicans are worried about a 'Kavanaugh 2.0' scenario with Trump's attorney general nominee
Scroll down for our timeline of the proceedings:
Sen. Lindsey Graham begins the hearings with opening remarks
Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images
Sen. Graham opened up the hearings by acknowledging the past tension on the Committee, and thanking former Chair Sen. Chuck Grassley and ranking member Dianne Feinstein for their leadership.
“If I can do what you and Sen. Grassley were able to do, I will have done the committee a great service. Last year was tough, but you and Sen. Feinstein did the best you could.”
“I want us to do better, and I’ll be measured as possible. The immigration Lindsey will show up, but I’ll try my best," he said.
Graham then introduced Barr:
“Mr. Barr, when you look at what he’s done in his life its incredible. He’s been AG before, from 91 to 93 by voice vote. Deputy AG from 90 to 91...assistant AG to Office of Legal Counsel, academically gifted, and legislative counsel to the CIA.”
“You will be challenged, you should be challenged, the memo, there will be a lot of talk about it," he told Barr. "I want to let you know we appreciate you stepping up at a time when we need your temperament and background.”
Ranking member Sen. Feinstein gives opening remarks
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
“I want to say a word about women. 25 years ago, there were no women on this committee," Feinstein said.
"I want to particularly welcome Sen. Ernst and Sen. Blackburn. I think it’s important that this committee be representative of our society at large," she said, referencing Republican Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
Feinstein then laid out some of her concerns with Barr's memo on the Mueller probe and his views on executive power.
“Top of mind for all of us is the ongoing investigation. Importantly, the attorney general must be willing to resist political pressure and be committed to protecting this investigation," Feinstein said.
Retired Sen. Orrin Hatch testifies before the Committee to give remarks supporting Barr
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Hatch, who served on the Judiciary Committee before retiring in 2019, appeared before the Committee as a witness to give remarks supporting Barr's nomination.
"There is no question Bill is qualified to serve as Attorney General. He's served in this position before, and received praise for his fairness, tenacity, and work ethic," Hatch said.
He also noted that Barr is a "lawyer's lawyer," and was not in Pres. Bush's inner circle when he was nominated in 1991.
"His reputation as a defender of the rule of law makes him a nominee the Senate and the President should be proud of," Hatch said.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- William Barr, Trump's attorney general nominee, said Roe v. Wade 'will fall' in unearthed CNN interview from 1992
- Here's what Rod Rosenstein's reported departure from the Justice Department means for the future of the Mueller probe
- Republicans are worried about a 'Kavanaugh 2.0' scenario with Trump's attorney general nominee
from Business Insider https://read.bi/2He1w0n
No comments:
Post a Comment