[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 159 (Wednesday, September 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Russia Investigation

  Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I rise today to urge the Senate to pass 
the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act. This is a bill that 
not many Americans have heard about yet, but it is a critically 
important bill for the Senate to pass and very important for the 
country. This bill will preserve the Justice Department's independent 
investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 Presidential 
election.
  Since this weekend, there have been reports that the President may 
fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein from his position at the 
Department of Justice. This would be a gross abuse of power--a line 
that we cannot allow to be crossed without consequence. Mr. Rosenstein 
has a long career in public service and law enforcement. He initially 
joined the Department of Justice nearly 30 years ago through the 
Attorney General's Honors Program and rose through the ranks, serving 
as a Trial Attorney, as a Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General 
for the Tax Division, and as a U.S. Attorney in Maryland for over a 
decade--a critically important job in our justice system.
  As Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Rosenstein has overseen the Russia 
investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which has secured 
indictments or guilty pleas from 32 people and 3 companies, including 
Russian individuals and companies, as well as former Trump campaign 
manager Paul Manafort, deputy campaign manager Rick Gates, and other 
campaign advisers, including George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn. 
Earlier this month, Mr. Manafort pleaded guilty to ``conspiracy against 
the United States.''
  Mr. Rosenstein has played an integral role in ensuring that the 
Mueller investigation can continue without interference. Unfortunately, 
this work and Mr. Rosenstein's long and distinguished service at the 
Department of Justice could come to an end if he is fired by the 
President.
  From day one, President Trump has systematically worked to obstruct 
Special Counsel Mueller's investigation into Russia's attack on our 
Nation. He has attempted to fire, to demand loyalty of, and to 
interfere with any official with oversight of this matter. By way of 
example, this is a President who fired the Director of the FBI and 
later admitted in a television interview that he had done so with the 
Russia investigation in mind. This is a President who has repeatedly 
attacked the very Attorney General he nominated, suggesting that the 
Department of Justice should do his political bidding. This is a 
President who has impugned the impartiality and the motives of judges 
who have ruled against his policies. This is a President who has 
continued to call the Mueller investigation a ``witch-hunt'' despite 
the fact that it has already produced dozens of indictments and guilty 
pleas.
  In short, this is a President who believes the Department of Justice 
owes a duty of loyalty to him and him alone. Our Justice Department 
officials have a duty to serve the American people and only the 
American people. They swear to uphold the Constitution, not to 
genuflect to this President or any President.
  Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein has upheld his duty to the country 
and our Constitution. If the President fires him, it will be yet 
another blatant attempt to derail the Mueller investigation, and it 
could very well be successful.
  Rod Rosenstein supervises the Russia investigation, overseeing the 
work of Special Counsel Mueller and his team. He receives status 
reports, establishes the investigation's budget, and, according to 
special counsel regulations, has the power to ``determine whether the 
investigation should continue.'' He therefore plays an integral role in 
ensuring that the independent investigation can continue to seek 
answers on Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
  If Mr. Rosenstein were fired, it could compromise the Mueller 
investigation in ways the public can see and in ways we may never know 
through warrants that are never approved or resources that are diverted 
to other projects. This would be a decision by the President that would 
put us into unchartered waters. It is therefore more important than 
ever that Congress step up and exercise the oversight that the American 
people expect from us and I would say especially here in the Senate.
  Since President Trump entered office, the Republican majority has not 
discharged its duty to act as an independent check on the executive 
branch and on the President himself. The majority would not be able to 
abdicate its responsibility any longer if Rosenstein were to be fired.
  Congress has a solemn obligation to act immediately--immediately--to 
protect Special Counsel Mueller's investigation and prevent any more 
interference from this administration. Senators in both parties have a 
duty to the American people to step up as a coequal branch of 
government and ensure that the special counsel's independent 
investigation remains just that--independent.
  For public officials and institutions with nothing to hide, an 
investigation which is independent is not a ``witch-hunt''; it is an 
opportunity for vindication, a chance to prove that our institutions 
and the individuals who serve them are truly worthy of the public's 
trust.
  At a time when the American people's confidence in our institution is 
low--very low--and when suspicion of wrongdoing is high, it is all the 
more important that the 2016 election activities of Russia, as well as 
the Trump campaign, be open for review. As the voice of the American 
people, we in the Senate must ensure that the investigation both 
continues and remains, in fact, independent.
  The legislation to protect the Mueller investigation, the Special 
Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, is ready for a vote by the full 
Senate at any time if the majority leader would permit us to do that. 
It is a bipartisan bill that has been approved by a bipartisan majority 
of the Judiciary Committee. There is no excuse not to pass this 
legislation immediately. Day by day, each time the President attacks 
Robert Mueller or Rod Rosenstein or the rule of law, we are presented 
with more evidence of why this legislation is needed. That is why I 
have again come to the floor to urge Leader McConnell to bring up this 
bill for a vote. It is far past time to put country over party.
  We must not forget that the special counsel is investigating an 
attack on our democracy by a foreign adversary. As a matter of national 
security, the American people deserve answers about what happened 
during the 2016 election. We cannot allow anyone, including the 
President, to interfere with the investigation and prevent the American 
people from getting those answers to very important questions.