Senate committee advances Trump’s attorney general nominee

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of William Barr to be U.S. attorney general by a vote of 12-10, along party lines. His nomination now heads to the Senate where he will need a simple majority for confirmation. Republicans hold a 53 to 47 majority.
 
Trump announced his intent to nominate Barr as attorney general on December 7, 2018, and he was formally nominated on January 3, 2019. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for Barr on January 15-16, 2019.
 
Barr served as the 77th United States attorney general under former President George H.W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. At that time, he was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.



About the author

Kelly Coyle

Kelly Coyle is a staff writer at Ballotpedia. Contact us at editor@ballotpedia.org.