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UP FRONT Tuesday 9 July 2019

Barr sees a way for census to legally ask about citizenship

Continued from Front don’t think we are legally
wrong.” Barr said he has
That in turn would redistrib- been in regular contact
ute money and political with Trump over the issue
power away from Demo- of the citizenship question.
cratic-led cities where im- “I agree with him that the
migrants tend to cluster to Supreme Court decision
whiter, rural areas where was wrong,” the attorney
Republicans do well. general said. He said he
Democratic House Speaker believes there is “an op-
Nancy Pelosi said Monday portunity potentially to
that Trump wants to add cure the lack of clarity that
the demand for citizenship was the problem and we
information because he might as well take a shot
wants to “make America at doing that.” The Trump
white again.” administration has argued
Meanwhile, the Justice De- that it wanted the question
partment is replacing the included to aid in enforc-
legal team that has been ing the Voting Rights Act,
pursuing Trump’s efforts, which protects minority
putting in place a new voters’ access to the ballot
team consisting of both box. But Chief Justice John House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference at the Federal Building in San
career and politically ap- Roberts joined the court’s Francisco on Monday, July 8, 2019.
pointed attorneys. four more liberal members Associated Press
The new team, named in last month’s Supreme met with inmates and staff criminal justice reform law and Trump signed into law
in court papers, includes Court decision, openly members to discuss the that Congress approved last year.q
Deputy Assistant Attorney skeptical about that justi-
General David Morrell, a fication. It’s unclear what
former Trump White House new rationale for asking
lawyer and law clerk to the question the adminis-
Justice Clarence Thomas; tration might include in a
Christopher Bates, who presidential memorandum.
previously worked for Re- Barr said the change in at-
publican Sen. Orrin Hatch torneys working on the is-
of Utah, and four career sue came about after Burn-
Justice Department attor- ham approached him and
neys, Glenn Girdharry, Co- “indicated it was a logical
lin Kisor, Christopher Reimer breaking point since a new
and Daniel Schiffer. decision would be made
James Burnham, a top law- and the issues going for-
yer in the department’s ward would hopefully be
civil division who had been separate from the histori-
leading the team, had told cal debates.” “If they pre-
Barr that a number of peo- fer not to embark on this
ple who had been litigat- next phase, then I thought
ing the case preferred “not it could make sense to
to continue during this new change,” Barr said.
phase,” the attorney gen- Pelosi, meanwhile, said
eral said. The new team in a letter to colleagues
may find it easier to argue that the full House would
the administration’s new be moving forward with a
position, said an admin- vote to hold Barr and Com-
istration official, speaking merce Secretary Wilbur
only on condition of ano- Ross in contempt of Con-
nymity because the official gress after the administra-
was not authorized to com- tion failed to comply with
ment for attribution. subpoenas regarding the
Barr said he didn’t have de- census question. Barr spoke
tails on why the attorneys to the AP after touring a
didn’t want to continue, federal prison in Edgefield,
but “as far as I know, they South Carolina, where he