US Senate confirms William Barr as attorney general
In this file photo taken on January 15, 2019, William Barr, nominee to be US Attorney General, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
The US Senate on Thursday confirmed William Barr, President Donald Trump's nominee, to become the next attorney general.
The vote was 54-45, which fell largely along party lines with most Republicans backing and most Democrats opposed.
Once sworn in later in the day at the White House, Barr will head the Justice Department, overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into the alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 elections and the possible collusion with Trump's campaign.
Barr is a Justice Department veteran who has served as attorney general in the George H.W. Bush administration.
