Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 08:48 pm
Senate Democratic Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that Democrats in the House and Senate are going to force Republicans to attach Mueller protections to must-pass legislation.
Schumer was asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper if is willing to shut down the government to protect Mueller. After saying that he and House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi are going to a Matthew Whitaker recusal, Schumer said, “We Democrats, house and senate, will attempt to add to must-pass legislation. In this case, the spending bill, legislation that would prevent Mr. Whitaker from interfering with the Mueller investigation. That legislation has had bipartisan support. Two Democrats and two Republicans introduced it. As you mentioned, there are a number of Republicans who have spoken out that we cannot allow Whitaker to interfere with the Mueller investigation. So there’s no reason that legislation shouldn’t pass.”
Video:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Senate Democratic Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that Democrats in the House and Senate are going to force Republicans to attach Mueller protections to must-pass legislation. https://t.co/GboFuvKxC6 pic.twitter.com/G72K5idrC7
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) November 11, 2018
Democrats are outsmarting Trump and McConnell on protecting Mueller
A government funding bill has to be passed by December 7. If the Senate doesn’t pass the bill, the government will shut down. Republicans are going to want to go home for Christmas break ASAP. A long and protracted fight could keep them in session through the holidays. Democrats hold the cards. If Trump and McConnell want the bad press and the economic damage that comes with millions of government workers not getting paid during the holiday shopping season, that’s on them.
Republicans will be blamed for a government shutdown because they still control all of Congress and the White House.
The most likely outcome is that McConnell passes the Mueller protections in the Senate. Sen. McConnell has already said that he thinks that the protections are unnecessary. If this is the case, why not pass them?
This means that Trump will either have to get tons of bad press by shutting down the government over Christmas, or he will sign the bill with the Mueller protections.
Democrats have Republicans in a corner, and they are ready to fight to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.
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
