The confirmation hearings for William Barr, 45’s nominee to be the next attorney general, began on Tuesday.
In the midst of a government shutdown that, according to CBS news, will have more than 420,000 federal workers go without pay, coupled with the Mueller Investigation – which seeks to determine if our president is, in actuality, a Russian spy – it could be easy to let these confirmations fly under the radar.
Here's what you need to know about your possible new Attorney General.
1. He is Jeff Sessions' successor.
Jeff Sessions stepped down from acting Attorney General in November, noting in his resignation letter that he was doing so at the request of President Trump. Many, including Nancy Pelosi, saw sessions forced resignation as a tactic meant to bring the Mueller investigation to screeching halt.
Given his record of threats to undermine & weaken the Russia investigation, Matthew Whitaker should recuse himself from any involvement in Mueller’s investigation. Congress must take immediate action to protect the rule of law and integrity of the investigation. #FollowTheFacts— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) November 7, 2018
Matthew Whitaker, briefly became acting attorney general, but following the backlash, Trump nominated William Barr in December.
On Tuesday, when questioned if he would ensure that the findings of the investigation be made public, Barr stated the conclusion of the investigation “will be handled as a confidential document.”
2. He’s a former attorney general under George H. W. Bush.
William Barr has already acted as the attorney general under George H. W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. During that time, he had some interesting thoughts on criminal justice reform.
3. Barr helped institute mass incarceration.
During his time with the Bush administration in 1992, William Barr was a major contributor to the report by the Department of Justice titled The Case for More Incarceration. This report was one of the many stances and policies he spearheaded that escalated the war on drugs.
In 1994 Barr and then Virginia governor George Allen co-chaired the Commission on Parole Abolition and Sentencing Reform. A commission that sought to abolish parole in the state, build more prisons, increase prison sentences up to six times longer.
In 1991, Barr professed during the Mid-America Committee Luncheon: “Many of the so-called experts – whose theories gave us the horrors of the 60’s and 70’s – are criticizing this high prison population. They say it’s a sign of failure. I believe they are wrong. It is a sign of success.”
4. Doesn’t believe that disparity between race and sentencing exist.
When asked about racial disparities in prisons and prison sentencing during a Los Angeles Times interview in 1992, William Barr stated: “I think our system is fair and does not treat people differently.”
When pressed on the specific differences in sentencing regarding offenses dealing with cocaine versus crack cocaine (a drug that disproportionately wreaked havoc on the Black community), Barr answered: “It's associated with violence. It's associated with the decomposition of families, crack babies, spousal abuse, child abuse. As you know, in 1985, all these social indices just went off the charts. It had a catastrophic impact, and so I think a stiffer penalty for crack cocaine is warranted.”
When recently questioned by Senator Corey Booker during Tuesday’s hearing if the system of mass incarceration disproportionately benefited African-American communities, Barr seemed to have changed his tune – stating, “I think the reduction in crime has since 1992,” Barr responded. “But I think the heavy drug penalties have harmed the Black community and the incarceration rates have harmed the Black community.”
5. Detained HIV+ Haitian Immigrants at Guantanamo Bay
In 1991, the Bush administration began to collect Haitian refugees fleeing by boat after democratically elected Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown via a military coup. While the numbers dwindled over time, at least 310 refugees who had tested HIV+ (or alleged to be positive) remained detained at the detention facility.
In a 2001 interview with UVA’s Miller Center, William Barr discussed his role in what other’s considered a human rights violation and his response to detractors, “They were always complaining. I would say, ‘What do you people do at Guantanamo? Maybe this is the highest, best use of Guantanamo. Maybe Guantanamo should be turned over to the INS . . . and used as a processing center. Maybe this is the best use for the United States as opposed to whatever you people do with it.”
With a majority Republican Senate, the likelihood that Barr will be confirmed is likey. The saga continues folks…
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