Republicans Push Bill To Protect Mueller, Without McConnell's Support

[Dulcinea]

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., may not have any interest in allowing a vote on a measure to make it harder for President Trump to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, but that isn't stopping some Republicans from forcing the debate.

North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis said Wednesday that he will continue working on a bill to allow Mueller access to speedy judicial review if Trump tries to force him out of his job leading the Justice Department investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election — with or without McConnell's support.

"We'll have a markup and a vote in committee," Tillis told reporters. "It's something that can lie in the Senate chamber. Facts may lead to passage or not."

Tillis said he plans to continue lobbying leadership on the bill, even after McConnell explicitly rejected the legislation.

https://www.npr.org/2018/04/19/603696749/republicans-push-bill-to-protect-mueller-without-mcconnells-support

[Scarsdale]

1. McConnell is doing what he

always does - protecting himself. He took plenty of Russian money, his wife got a government job. Self preservation is his main goal, has been for YEARS. What has he ever done for Kentucky and his constituents?

[FakeNoose]

15. Republicans in Congress know the score - they have to answer to the voters back home

McConnell can't help them with that.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Theater

McConnell is the choke point for the GOP here.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. A LOT of politics is theater to dramatize political points. Doesn't make it useless.

Make RepubliCons declare their allegiances. It pressures them for November with a Blue Wave building. McCONnell has already declared himself complicit by his actions before, during and after.

Before: Blocking Merrick Garland for no good reason other than knowing of collusion.
During: Blocking Obama from protecting the electoral system by warning the states.
After: Blocking this protection of the investigation.

[garybeck]

3. I never understood

How one person such as the majority leader gets to unilaterally decide what bills get voted on. I thought this was a democracy

[forgotmylogin]

12. I believe...

it's kind of like when there's a meeting and Gary has control of the overhead projector and refuses to show anything but pictures of his cats, and won't give the remote control to someone else who needs to show a power point.

McConnell gets to decide the docket, so he's legislating via lack of clerical etiquette. That's how the SC pick was stolen - Obama nominated him, and McConnell just happened to never got around to bringing the nomination to the floor for a vote. For nearly an entire year until Obama was out of office.

It's the same when Sarah Sanders refuses to call on specific reporters she doesn't like, so their questions don't get asked.

[Catherine Vincent]

5. Very glad they are proceeding without McConnell

I saw that interview he gave where he said he doesn't think Trump would fire Mueller and the bill isn't necessary yadda yadda. I noticed how many times he said "I", yes, he is the majority whip but still...

[barbtries]

6. tillis is a republican pig here in NC

this could only be the result of a political calculation on his part. but if it works, good.

[pangaia]

7. That is my question.. why in the world are they trying to protect Mueller?

And.. are they REALLY trying to protect him? Or is it something else....

I wouldn't trust these pigs for a NY minute..

[DownriverDem]

10. Reading the polls

Those repubs have seen that Americans want Mueller to continue his investigation. It looks like those repubs are trying to save themselves. If true, that would be very good for we the people.

[pangaia]

17. I hope you are right..

[barbtries]

18. my guess is he reads the writing on the wall

he sees the BLUE WAVE coming at him.

in a perfect world he would be truly concerned for the country and the world. but we all know that's not true for republicans any more. so this is my best guess, he has figured out, or is gambling, that doing the right thing here will help his chances down the road.

[world wide wally]

8. Our government needs some rules tweaking once we get out of this.

The concept of the USA and Constitution are great (when interpreted correctly), but giving so much power to individuals like McConnell sucks, quite frankly.

[DownriverDem]

11. The Senate

Unless you become a Senator there is no way in hell things will change when it comes to the Senate and the majority leader's (McConnell) power. Remember, what you might want changed when a repub is in power, might not be what you want when the Dems are in power. The Senate was meant to be a slow deliberative body as a counter weight to the House which changes every 2 years.

[world wide wally]

13. Slow is one thing but for one person being able to stop it needs to be debated.

Most importantly, there has to be a way to stop abusive power by a majority or even one person.

[Native]

16. I agree completely. Even a president's veto can be overridden. No one should have this much power.

[DownriverDem]

9. During Watergate

repubs did not attack Dems. It was all about Nixon. How things have changed.

[Texin]

14. "...Facts may lead to passage or not."

Hmmm. I found this comment very interesting. Just to what "facts" might Tillis be alluding? I'm sure the folks in congress know a great bit more than the tip of the iceberg we've been shown in the news media.

[SunSeeker]

19. K & R