Senators from both parties had warned that President Trump’s next pick for attorney general would face an uphill climb in the Senate, but Trump may have solved the problem by nominating William Barr.
Barr, 68, was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 1991 to be President George H.W. Bush’s attorney general. When it became clear he would be Trump’s pick, a key Senate Democrat indicated Barr would once again likely find support from Democrats.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., a senior member of the Judiciary Committee that must approve of any attorney general pick, told the Washington Examiner he has known Barr a long time and respects his work.
“I’ve always said the best thing the administration can do is get somebody who would have majority support from Republicans and Democrats,” Leahy said. When asked if Barr could win such support, Leahy said, “yes he could.”
On Friday, Leahy hedged a little on Barr due to his public criticism of the special counsel probe into alleged collusion between the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and the Russians.
“I have known Bill Barr a long time. He has a long record in both the private sector and public service that needs to be thoroughly vetted by the Senate,” Leahy said on twitter. “This includes recent, troubling comments about investigations of keen interest to the President who is nominating him.”
In a follow-up tweet, Leahy said he looked forward to talking about these issues at his confirmation hearing.
I have known Bill Barr a long time. He has a long record in both the private sector and public service that needs to be thoroughly vetted by the Senate. This includes recent, troubling comments about investigations of keen interest to the President who is nominating him.
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) December 7, 2018
Still, Leahy’s initial comment is a sign Barr might be able to gather some Democratic support, something that has been increasingly hard to do for Trump’s nominees.
And even if Democrats find a reason to reject him, Barr will have an easier time getting through with only Republican support. The GOP has 51 seats in the Senate today, but next year, when Barr is considered, they’ll have 53, which means Barr can be confirmed even if three Republicans oppose him, in which case Vice President Mike Pence would break the tie.
Republicans appeared pleased when Barr’s name surfaced Thursday as a replacement for Jeff Sessions, who was forced out of the post after a tumultuous tenure filled with frequent public criticism from Trump. Trump was angered by Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe, which the president has declared a witch hunt.
Democrats and many Senate Republicans are eager to ensure the next attorney general is someone who will fairly serve as an overseer of the probe. Some think Barr fits that description, but to Republicans, his perceived ability to be confirmed is an undeniable plus.
“Getting the next nominee confirmed is going to be a little bit of a challenge,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. “So, he may be the kind of person that would be easier to confirm than others.”
Barr has also won praise from veteran Republicans who admired his work for Bush.
“I think he did a good job as attorney general the last time,” Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said. “He should be well prepared for the job.”
Lawmakers in both parties will scrutinize his service not only in the Bush administration, but his more recent actions, including his November 2017 interview with the New York Times in which he said Hillary Clinton’s Uranium One deal with the Russian government should get a closer look from the Justice Department than any alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russians.
Barr said the Justice Department is “abdicating its responsibility” by not investigating the Clinton-Uranium one deal. The interview was unearthed by the Washington Post, and Leahy and other Democrats will likely want Barr to explain his remarks.
