This would be Barr’s second go around in the job…He held the position in the Bush II admin….
His confirmation only needs a simple majority and there are 53 Republican Senators….
A few Democrats are expected to join the Republicans in voting for Barr…..
Nobody will miss Matt Whitaker at the job …..
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.”
“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….
image…Vox
The three Democrats who voted for cloture are Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Doug Jones of Alabama.
Cory Booker (New Jersey) did not vote. And Rand Paul of Kentucky, as the article notes, was the only Republican to vote Nay.
(All 53 Republican Senators voted, as did both independents, Angus King of Maine and
Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who voted Nay.)
We KNEW that lawmakers in Trump friendly places WOULD go along….
Schumer isn’t gonna complain about the votes….
He’s playing the long game….
William Barr has beeen CONFIRMED to serve as the next US Attorney General…
The vote was 54-45…..
As expected
The few Democrats in Trump states voted FOR Barr….
Sens. Doug Jones (Ala.), Joe Manchin (W. Va.), and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.).
William Barr is NOW the US Attorney General