«This is an issue that should come to the floor … «
Legislation that would protect special counsel Robert Mueller made it out of committee on Thursday following a bipartisan vote, but the chances the bill ever receives a vote on the Senate floor remain slim despite calls from Democrats.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill with a bipartisan 14-7 vote, which saw all Democrats in favor of the measure along with Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N. C.), Lindsey Graham (R-S. C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).
While the next step would be for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, the Kentucky senator has already signaled that’s not going to happen.
«I don’t think he should fire Mueller, and I don’t think he’s going to, so this is a piece of legislation that’s not necessary, in my judgment,” McConnell told Fox News last week.
McConnell isn’t the only Republican who thinks the bill isn’t needed. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who voted down the measure during Thursday’s panel vote, told IJR that the bill picks an “unnecessary fight with the president” and that he’s confident McConnell won’t bring it to the floor.
But just moments after the panel approved the bill, Democrats started calling on McConnell to bring it to a vote.
“A 14-7 vote out of the Senate Judiciary Committee […] I hope will be noted by the Republican majority leader,” committee member Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said following the vote.
“This is an issue that should come to the floor,» Durbin said. ”[…] It isn’t as if we are overwhelmed with work on the floor of the Senate.»
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Durbin’s comments, saying in a statement that following President Donald Trump’s comments on Thursday regarding the special counsel’s investigation, “it’s become even more of an imperative that Leader McConnell put this bill on the Senate floor for a vote immediately.”
“Rather than waiting for a constitutional crisis, the full Senate should act now,” Schumer added.
McConnell’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
William is a Senior Congressional and Breaking News Reporter for IJR. Prior to that, he covered politics and breaking news at AOL.com, leading the sit… more
