[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3838-H3839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LIMIT MUELLER INVESTIGATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Brooks) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today I am sending a joint letter 
to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking him to limit the Mueller 
investigation in two respects. The letter to Attorney General Jeff 
Sessions states:

       We, the undersigned, urge you to, one, limit Special 
     Counsel Mueller's investigation to, A, alleged Russian 
     interference with the 2016 Presidential election, herein 
     referred to as ``Russian interference,'' and, B, alleged 
     collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians with 
     respect to the alleged Russian interference, herein referred 
     to as ``Trump collusion.''
       Two, terminate the investigative phase of Mueller's 
     authority no later than July 5, 2018, which is the 2-year 
     anniversary of the date on which the FBI began investigating 
     alleged Russian interference with the 2016 Presidential 
     election.
       We respectfully request that you consider the following 
     reasoning for our request.

  First, with respect to limiting the Mueller investigation scope, the 
letter states:

       You recused yourself ``from any existing or future 
     investigations of any matters related in any way to the 
     campaigns for President of the United States.'' This request 
     does not conflict with your recusal because it asks that you 
     direct Mueller to cease investigation of matters that go 
     beyond allegations of Russian interference and Trump 
     collusion. For emphasis, matters beyond alleged Russian 
     interference and Trump collusion, if any, can and should be 
     treated like any other matter investigated and prosecuted by 
     Federal law enforcement officials and the Department of 
     Justice.
       While public opinion must not always dictate justice, it is 
     important to emphasize that the expansion of Mueller's work 
     scope goes way beyond the alleged Russian interference and 
     Trump collusion that was the public basis for the appointment 
     of a special counsel. As such, continuation of Mueller's work 
     scope beyond alleged Russian interference and Trump collusion 
     betrays the public trust on which America's justice system is 
     founded.

                              {time}  1015

  Second, with respect to termination of the Mueller investigation on 
the 2-year anniversary of when the FBI and Department of Justice began 
the Russian interference investigation, the letter states:

       The investigation of alleged Russian interference began 
     almost 2 years ago. Two years is more than enough time for a 
     competent and thorough prosecutor, backed up by the resources 
     of the FBI and Department of Justice, to do his job.
       If no harm was being done by the tardiness of an 
     investigation, that would be one thing. But in this instance, 
     Mueller's tardiness is damaging America. The alleged Russian 
     interference and Trump collusion investigations have taken on 
     the character of an endless political persecution that not 
     only harms America's trust in the justice system

[[Page H3839]]

     but also severely damages and distracts from the ability of a 
     duly elected President to fulfill his duties to the American 
     people.
       As you know, America is racking up deficits and debt at a 
     frightening and dangerous pace. Washington public officials 
     must be more prudent with tax dollars forcibly taken from 
     American citizens. Mueller appears to be burning through tax 
     dollars at a roughly $1.5 million-per-month clip. Given the 
     rather paltry results to date, a strong argument can be made 
     that Mueller's investigation is an extravagant waste of tax 
     dollars.
       We urge you, on the second anniversary of the start of the 
     alleged Russian interference and Trump collusion 
     investigations, to end it. Between now and then, Mueller has 
     plenty of time to get the job done.

  Mr. Speaker, so far, this letter has been respectfully signed and 
submitted to Attorney General Jeff Sessions by no less than 16 Members 
of the United States Congress.

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