Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), claimed Wednesday that the Justice Department (DOJ) is denying Senate Democrats meetings with William Barr, President Trump‘s nominee for attorney general, due to the partial government shutdown.
Blumenthal in a statement on Wednesday called Barr’s “refusal” to meet with Democrats “unprecedented and unacceptable.”
“William Barr’s refusal to meet with Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee is entirely unprecedented and unacceptable,” Blumenthal said in a statement sent to The Hill. “The Department of Justice’s attempt to excuse this gross break in the norms by citing a ‘truncated schedule’ is galling when they are the ones who have rushed it.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said late Wednesday that she was also unable to get a meeting with Barr due to the shutdown.
“I tried (as did Blumenthal) to get meeting w/AG nominee Barr and was told he couldn’t meet until AFTER the hearing. The reason given? The shutdown,” Klobuchar tweeted. “Yet shutdown didn’t stop him from other mtgs. This is a 1st for me w/any nominee as a member of judiciary.” – READ MORE