Attorney General nominee William Barr is meeting with Senate Democrats on Thursday as his nomination process continues.
Barr has meetings scheduled with Democrat Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Chris Coons of Delaware and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. The last name on that list is particularly noteworthy, as Klobuchar claimed on Wednesday that she had been denied a meeting with Barr.
“I tried to get meeting w/AG nominee [William)]Barr and was told he couldn’t meet until AFTER the hearing,” Klobuchar said on her Twitter account yesterday. “The reason given? The shutdown. Yet shutdown didn’t stop him from other meetings. This is a 1st for me w/any nominee as a member of judiciary.”
Her tweet was followed by the hashtags: #Uncool and #BadSign. (RELATED: Amy Klobuchar Explains Why She’d Be A 2020 Contender … Stops Short Of Making The Announcement)
Pres. Bush (R) listening to Dep. Atty. Gen. William Barr at WH portico ceremony announcing Dep.’s nomination to succeed Atty. Gen. Thornburgh. (Photo by Dirck Halstead/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)
Democrats have been in opposition to Barr’s nomination as Trump’s AG since he sent a memo to senior Justice Department officials in 2017 questioning Robert Meuller’s investigation into whether Trump’s decision to fire FBI director James Comey was obstruction of justice. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told Politico that Trump should withdraw Barr’s nomination.
Barr, whose confirmation hearing is set for Jan. 15, previously served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush from 1991-1993 and was nominated to serve in the position again by President Trump on December 7.
Barr met with Republicans on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
