Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont)
On Attorney General William Barr and the Future of the Department of Justice
Senate Floor
December 19, 2020
As William Barr’s second tenure as Attorney General is coming to an end, it is important for the Senate to reflect upon his legacy, and upon the challenges now facing the Department of Justice.
The Office of Attorney General fills a unique role within our system of government. Created by the Judiciary Act of 1789, an Attorney General is not a traditional member of the President’s cabinet. As Supreme Court Justice James Iredell observed in 1792, the position “is not called the Attorney General of the President, but Attorney General of the United States.” This is because an Attorney General’s client is not the president, but the American people. An Attorney General’s duty is not to defend the president, but to uphold the rule of law — and do so with integrity and independence.