The Senate confirmed William Barr to be the next attorney general Thursday by a 54-45 vote, mostly along party lines. Barr will now be tasked with oversight of the special counsel's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Barr is known for his strong view of presidential authority and he has wavered on whether he would release Robert Mueller's full report to Congress and the public.
Three Democratic senators from conservative or swing states voted in favor of Barr: Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia.
Barr is expected to be sworn in Thursday afternoon at 4:45 PM in the Oval Office. That’s when his grace period with Donald Trump will be over—unless he does exactly what Trump nominated him to do, which is a distinct possibility.