U.S Senate confirmed William Barr as New Attorney General

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On Thursday, the U.S Senate voted to confirm William Barr as the new attorney general. The U.S Senate confirmation will give the power to Barr to supervise the ongoing investigation of the Justice Department into the alleged collusion of Trump’s campaign with Russia and its interference in the 2016 U.S presidential election.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 54-45 in the favor of President Donald Trump’s nominee for the attorney general post. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Doug Jones of Alabama, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona strayed from their political party and supported Barr. GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina praised Barr as an outstanding pick for attorney general. He started his support for Barr and said, “Somebody who will be fair to the president, but also be fair to the rule of law and protect the integrity of the Department of Justice”.

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey is vying for the Democratic nomination in 2020. He criticized the record of Barr on criminal justice and racial inequality. Booker said in a statement, “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, and who is willing and prepared to protect our most fundamental rights”.

Last year, Barr also sparked concerns after he sent around an unsolicited memo on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. He blamed it of being based on a fatally misconceived theory with the potential to do lasting damage to the office of the presidency. But, Barr insisted that his opinions on the probe won’t interfere with his duties as the head of the Justice Department during his confirmation hearing in January. He informed senators that he would let Mueller finalize his entire investigation. He hoped that the special counsel’s findings would be made available to the public in accordance with the law.