Republicans are openly worried that when Trump fired James Comey, he also blew up the Republican agenda for the rest of the year.
Politico reported:
And some Republicans fret that all the public attention on Comey is going to bleed into their legislative efforts. Asked if Comey’s dismissal could affect the Senate’s work, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) replied: “I think it already has.â€
….
But inside the Capitol, there was already evidence that Trump’s firing of Comey — and Republicans’ defense of Trump — was infecting the upper chamber. Senate Democrats wielded their limited procedural leverage on Wednesday and canceled all hearings after 11:30 a.m., halting much of the Senate’s work for the day. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) came to the Senate floor to declare the episode “another low.â€
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Trump has already cost the Senate time. If the Senate gets bogged down by the Trump/Russia, Republicans could find their efforts to accomplish anything completely derailed. Senate Democrats are already being pressured by their base to shut down the Senate until a special prosecutor is appointed to investigate Trump and Russia. It wouldn’t take much prodding for Democrats to slow the Senate to a crawl until a real investigation is done into the Russia scandal.
Democrats have been empowered by Trump’s decision to fire Comey, and if a special prosecutor is not appointed, Republicans may see the Congress consumed by Trump’s scandal.
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
