Judiciary Dems Urge Committee Republicans to Sign Notice to Force Vote on Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act
Press Release
Today, House Judiciary Committee Democrats urged their Republican committee colleagues to join them in sending a notice to Chairman Goodlatte to force consideration of H.R. 5476, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, legislation to protect the Special Counsel investigation. House Judiciary Democrats are invoking House Rule XI, Clause 2(c)(2), which would force the Committee to hold a special meeting to consider the legislation. House Judiciary Committee Democrats, all of whom have signed the notice, are just three committee members away from being able to obtain the majority of committee members needed to employ the Rule. Just last week, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-TN) sent a letter to all House Judiciary Committee members, urging them to sign the notice.
Reps. Nadler, Jackson Lee and Cohen today released the following joint statement on this procedural action:
"With each passing day, the evidence of President Trump's animosity towards the Russia investigation and unhinged behavior towards law enforcement grows. In just the last week, we learned President Trump attempted to force the Justice Department to investigate an anonymous op-ed critical of his Administration, and reportedly described the Attorney General as "mentally retarded' and a "dumb Southerner.' Members of the Majority, both on and off the Committee, have repeatedly told us they want Special Counsel Mueller to be able to complete his inquiry unimpeded. It's past time for these members to put our nation's interests first by formally supporting this effort to advance the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act. If any three Republican Members sign our proposed notice by September 20th, we will be able to force a vote in our Committee before Congress adjourns for the mid-term elections and send a strong signal to the President and the American public about the importance of the rule of law."
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