A bipartisan group of four senators is moving to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's job as President Donald Trump publicly muses about firing him.
Republican Sens Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens Chris Coons of Delaware and Cory Booker of New Jersey are introducing legislation today that would give any special counsel a 10-day window in which he or she could seek expedited judicial review of a firing, the four senators said in a statement.
The legislation, which combines two bipartisan bills introduced last summer, signals escalating concerns in Congress as Trump has fumed about a Monday FBI raid of the office of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
Trump has privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and publicly criticized Mueller and his Russia probe.
In addition to investigating potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, Mueller is also examining whether the president's actions constitute obstruction of justice.
As the investigation has worn on, Trump has repeatedly called it a "witch hunt." On Monday, after the Cohen raid, he said it was "an attack on our country."
The raid was overseen by the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan and was based in part on a referral from Mueller, said Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan.
Trump continued his criticism Wednesday morning, tweeting that the investigation is "never ending and corrupt." Graham said in the statement that the purpose of the bill is to ensure a special counsel isn't fired for political reasons.
"I think this will serve the country well," he said. Coons said it's time for Republicans and Democrats to "stand up and make it clear that we are committed to the rule of law in this country.
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