The Hill reports that for the second time this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked a vote on a resolution to release the Mueller report to the public.
Senator Dianne Feinstein [D-CA] requested unanimous consent to pass the non-binding resolution calling on the Justice Department for the special counsel’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election to be released to Congress and to the public “except to the extent the public disclosure of any portion thereof is expressly prohibited by law”.
She said, “The fact is that a four-page summary cannot possibly illuminate what this thorough of an investigation uncovered. I find it so disappointing that so many are rushing to judgement without being able to see the full report or all of the underlying facts.”
The Senate Majority Leader objected to her request, blocking a vote on the resolution. He pointed out that Attorney General William Barr is working with Mueller to determine what portions of the report should be released.
“I have consistently supported the proposition that his report ought to be released to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the law. … I think we should be consistent in letting the special counsel actually finish his work and not just when we think it may be politically advantageous to one side or the other,” he said.
The same resolution passed 420-0 in the House nearly two weeks ago, prior to the Mueller report being submitted to the Attorney General. This is the third time the resolution has been blocked after being brought up by Senate Democrats. The Democrats have expressed doubts about the four-page letter AG Barr wrote to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees shortly after receiving the report from the special counsel’s office being a sufficient stand-in for the complete report.
Senator Lindsey Graham blocked Chuck Schumer’s attempt to pass the bill hours after the House passed the resolution when Schumer refused to amend the resolution to include a request for a special counsel be appointed to investigate Hillary Clinton and the Carter Page FISA applications.
The second time Schumer’s request for unanimous consent was blocked was Monday, when the Majority Leader refused consent, per Axios.
Marco Rubio has backed McConnell, calling the resolution “an unnecessary solution looking for a problem”. Paul tweeted his agreement with the Majority Leader’s move to block the resolution, “My plan is to object to the release of the Mueller report and/or all of the Mueller information until they also release the complete information from the White House, DOJ, FBI, on why they chose to credit the dossier.”
CBS reports that a Justice Department official has said that the report will be made available by the Attorney General in “weeks, not months”.
