The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Tuesday to consider two separate bipartisan bills designed to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller from being fired for no reason.
Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) are co-sponsoring one which would let Mueller "contest any termination after the fact." Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) are promoting a second which "would require the Justice Department to seek judicial approval before any firing."
Lawmakers introduced the two bills in August at a time when President Trump regularly was expressing public anger at Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the Russian investigation, a decision that eventually resulted in deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointing a special counsel.
Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) both tell Politico they anticipate the two bills eventually will become one.
In a separate article, former Senator and Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-FL) advises Congress to do more now to protect key evidence, saying "[T]his is the best time for the congressional committees to make sure that all of Mueller's documents, transcripts and other material goes to them if he is fired." (USA Today)
Full story. (Politico)