{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-calls-barr-worst-attorney-general-american-history", "Congressman Cohen Calls Barr the Worst Attorney General in American History", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "TN", "Steve Cohen", "C001068", "cohen.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "MEMPHIS  Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, made the following statement after hearing that Attorney General William Barr has resigned:\nIt is poetic justice that the man who subjugated himself and his office to this President won't finish out his term. His efforts to inflate the powers of the presidency weren't enough to satisfy Trump and he has embarrassingly had to leave office prematurely. Barr has been the worst Attorney General in American history, beginning his tenure by misleading the American people about the contents of the Mueller report, delaying its release and redacting critical parts and then ignoring lawful Congressional subpoenas.\nBarr for a long time refused to appear before the Judiciary Committee and, when he did, he was sullen and dismissive. He also helped give false credence to the idea that mail-in voting was dangerous, fomenting disunity and damaging democracy.\nBarr also pummeled the First Amendment by paving the way for peaceful protestors to be violently removed from Lafayette Park so that Trump could walk to St. John's Church and conduct a publicity stunt with a Bible.\nFor all of these reasons, I introduced H. Res. 1032 on June 30 to begin impeachment proceedings against Barr.\nHis tenure has been divisive, dangerous and beyond improper. However, his departure does leave me concerned that an even more craven sycophant could open the country to more treachery in the closing days of the Trump presidency.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-calls-barr-worst-attorney-general-american-history"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.717539969831705, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}