Washington
A draft released by Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, on Wednesday night omitted language that would require the special counsel to notify congressional leaders “if there is any change made to the specific nature or scope” of the investigation. Democrats had feared that would allow Republicans to meddle and potentially tip off Trump and his allies to developments in the probe.
With that change, all of the Democrats on the committee joined Grassley and several other Republicans to advance the bill on a 14-7 vote.
“It is possible the bill goes too far,” Grassley said at a committee meeting on Thursday. “But at the very least, if my amendment is adopted, it will require the executive branch to give more information to Congress, and that will allow Congress to do its job more effectively and to safeguard the interests of the American people.”
With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., dead set against bringing the measure to the Senate floor, House Republicans showing no appetite to take up legislation protecting Mueller and Trump likely to veto any such bill even if it passed, there is little hope that the Senate legislation will become law.
But supporters of the legislation said its mere consideration in committee will send an important message to Trump that firing Mueller or his overseers at the Justice Department would spark a fierce backlash on Capitol Hill.
Democrats also held out hope that the bipartisan committee vote on Thursday would persuade McConnell, who said last week that the bill was “not necessary,” to change his mind.
“This is an issue that should come to the floor,” Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said after the vote. “I hope Sen. McConnell will consider that possibility.”
The legislation, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, was introduced this month by two Republicans, Sens. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, and two Democrats, Sens. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, and Christopher Coons, of Delaware.
Four Republicans — Grassley, Graham, Tillis and Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona — joined Democrats to advance the bill.
While lawmakers, mostly Democrats, have for months pondered taking action to protect Mueller, the effort gained new traction after federal investigators raided the home and office of Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen in an investigation that spun off from the Mueller probe — prompting fresh attacks on the special counsel from Trump.
The legislation has divided Republicans, pitting a handful of senators who want to protect Mueller against others who have leveled a variety of objections to the bill.