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February 13, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 28 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

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Nomination of William Barr (Executive Session); Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 28
(Senate - February 13, 2019)

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[Pages S1289-S1290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of William Barr

  Mr. President, last night, the Senate moved forward on William Barr's 
nomination to be Attorney General. We will have the final vote on that 
nomination later this week.
  The President made an outstanding choice with Mr. Barr. Mr. Barr is 
eminently qualified to be Attorney General. In fact, he has already 
been Attorney General--under President George H.W. Bush. He also served 
as Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel at the 
Department of Justice and as Deputy Attorney General.
  He has won respect from both sides of the aisle. He has been 
confirmed by the Senate without opposition--not once, not twice, but 
three times. He was unanimously confirmed as Attorney General under 
George H.W. Bush in a Democrat-controlled Senate. Then-Judiciary 
Committee Chairman Joe Biden described him as ``a heck of an honorable 
guy.''
  Senator Leahy also spoke at that time, expressing his belief that Mr. 
Barr would be ``an independent voice for all Americans.''
  Today, Mr. Barr continues to earn respect from Democrats. The ranking 
member on the Judiciary Committee noted in January:

       He's obviously very smart. He was attorney general before. 
     No one can say he isn't qualified.


[[Page S1290]]


  Mr. Barr is extremely smart and eminently qualified. He would be a 
judicious, thoughtful, and independent Attorney General, whose 
allegiance would be to, as he said, ``the rule of law, the 
Constitution, and the American people.'' I hope the Senate will quickly 
confirm him in a bipartisan fashion.