Democrats expected to grill Barr on the Mueller report at appropriations hearing


Attorney General William Barr is likely to face some tough questions about Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
Barr is set to testify before the House Appropriations Committee, with the scheduled hearing meant to focus on the Justice Department's budget, not the Mueller report. Still, Democrats are expected to grill Barr during the hearing on his handling of the report, per Politico, with Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) planning to tear into Barr's handling of the investigation as "unacceptable" in her opening statement. Democratic aides told CNN no topics will be off limits during the hearing.
Barr last month released a four-page summary of the Mueller report, which said that Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, and did not make a determination on obstruction of justice. Several recent news reports have suggested some members of the Mueller team are unhappy with Barr's summary, feeling their findings were more damaging than he made them sound.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have provided members of the House Appropriations Committee a list of suggested questions to ask Barr, per The Washington Post. It's not clear whether Barr will actually answer these questions, and his opening statement does not mention the Mueller report at all, CNN notes. Barr previously told Congress that a version of the report, which he is in the process of redacting, would be released by mid-April, but Democrats have demanded the full, unredacted version.
Barr's testimony is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Road trip: New England’s maple syrup season
Feature New England is serving up maple syrup in delicious and unexpected ways
By The Week US Published
-
Music Reviews: Mdou Moctar, Panda Bear, and Tate McRae
Feature “Tears of Injustice,” “Sinister Grift,” and “So Close to What”
By The Week US Published
-
What's at stake in the Mahmoud Khalil deportation fight?
Talking Points Vague accusations and First Amendment concerns
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Trump hawks Teslas, slashes more federal jobs
Speed Read The Education Department cut its workforce in half ahead of an expected Trump order to shutter the agency
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine agrees to ceasefire, ending US aid freeze
Speed Read Kyiv made peace with the Trump administration by agreeing to an immediate ceasefire in its war against Russian invaders
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
ICE arrests Palestinian advocate with green card
Speed Read Recent Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has had his visa revoked, despite his status as a permanent resident
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump doesn't rule out recession as tariffs bite
Speed Read In an interview for Fox News, Trump acknowledges the economic turbulence caused by his tariffs but claims his policies will be worth it in the long run
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mark Carney selected next Canadian prime minister
Speed Read The political novice will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump eases Mexico, Canada tariffs again as markets slide
speed read The president suspended some of the 25% tariffs he imposed on Mexican and Canadian imports
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump tells Cabinet they are in charge of layoffs, not Musk
Speed Read The White House has faced mounting complaints about DOGE's sweeping cuts
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining House
Speed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published