Sen. Rand Paul plans to vote against confirming William Barr as attorney general, saying he opposes President Trump's nominee's stance on privacy issues.
"I'm a no," the Kentucky Republican said in an interview, reports Politico. "He's been the chief advocate for warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens. I think that the Fourth Amendment should protect your phone calls and your bank information. People shouldn't be allowed to look at it without a warrant."
Paul has voiced concerns about Barr's support of the Patriot Act, notes Politico. Further, the ACLU has branded Barr, along with his then-deputy Robert Mueller, as one of the architects of the National Security Agency's massive phone surveillance program while he was serving as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush.
Barr's confirmation vote is expected in the Senate this week, and even without Paul, Republicans likely will support him almost unanimously. Democratic Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama also has said he'll vote for Barr's confirmation.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to advance Barr's nomination. Democrats, however, said they are concerned about whether Barr will make the report public special counsel Mueller's investigation into Russian activities during the 2016 election.
They also were concerned about a memo he wrote last year to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, saying Mueller's investigation on Trump was "fatally misconceived."
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