Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) told Donald Trump on the Senate floor to forget about trying to use the Senate’s August recess to kill the Russia investigation by firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and appointing a new AG.
Video:
Sen @BenSasse "If you're thinking of making a recess appointment to push out the attorney general, forget about it." pic.twitter.com/Oufj0NzgGp
— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) July 27, 2017
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Sen. Sasse said, “If you’re thinking about making a recess appointment to push out the Attorney General, forget about it. The presidency isn’t a bull, and this country isn’t a china shop. Mr. President, you’re a public servant in a system of limited government with a duty to uphold, and to defend, and to teach to our kids the Constitution’s system of checks and balances, and this, this is the world’s greatest experiment in self-government. It works only if all of us, presidents, senators, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and judges if we all keep our faith to the American institutions and to the rule of law.”
If Donald Trump fires Jeff Sessions and tries to replace him with one of his cronies that will shut down the Russia investigation while the Senate is on recess, the odds are growing that he will open the door to the appointment of an independent prosecutor.
The worst thing that Trump could do would be to start messing around with checks and balances. Senators will guard constitutional turf regardless of party, and if Trump steps on their toes, he will face a furious pushback from the Senate.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association