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Bills to Protect Mueller Are Bipartisan, but the Path Forward Is Uncertain
Source: New York Times
Bills to Protect Mueller Are Bipartisan, but the Path Forward Is Uncertain
By NICHOLAS FANDOS SEPT. 26, 2017
WASHINGTON — A majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee appeared on Tuesday to back legislation that would provide an added layer of job protection for Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in last year’s election.
But after hours of conflicting testimony from a panel of constitutional scholars, the path forward for the two bipartisan special counsel bills under consideration was unclear. Lawmakers sponsoring the bills said that they were open to combining the measures, but they were uncertain if their legislation would end up on the Senate floor.
The measures were hastily introduced in August, after comments by President Trump fueled speculation that he might try to fire Mr. Mueller for straying into unwanted territory, such as Mr. Trump’s past business practices. Such speculation has since subsided, leaving at least some Republicans on the panel more circumspect about their efforts.
“I want the president to know that there is a process in place, and there are checks and balances long before you got here,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a sponsor of one of the bills. “And they will be here long after you’re gone.”
-snip-
By NICHOLAS FANDOS SEPT. 26, 2017
WASHINGTON — A majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee appeared on Tuesday to back legislation that would provide an added layer of job protection for Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in last year’s election.
But after hours of conflicting testimony from a panel of constitutional scholars, the path forward for the two bipartisan special counsel bills under consideration was unclear. Lawmakers sponsoring the bills said that they were open to combining the measures, but they were uncertain if their legislation would end up on the Senate floor.
The measures were hastily introduced in August, after comments by President Trump fueled speculation that he might try to fire Mr. Mueller for straying into unwanted territory, such as Mr. Trump’s past business practices. Such speculation has since subsided, leaving at least some Republicans on the panel more circumspect about their efforts.
“I want the president to know that there is a process in place, and there are checks and balances long before you got here,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a sponsor of one of the bills. “And they will be here long after you’re gone.”
-snip-
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/us/politics/mueller-russia-senate-judiciary-committee.html