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.
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.
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.
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot