[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9069]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        SPECIAL COUNSEL MUELLER

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, as we continue to grapple with last 
week's testimony from former Director Comey, it seems the new strategy 
by some on the right is now to question the credibility of Special 
Counsel Mueller. Already, former Speaker Gingrich and others have said 
negative things about Mueller just weeks after praising his selection. 
They know that Mr. Mueller is the man now responsible for following up 
on Mr. Comey's testimony so the hard right is trying to discredit him 
in advance. They know they can't debate the facts or the issues or 
defend the actions of the White House on the merits, so what do they 
do? They attack the referee and try to besmirch the reputation of 
someone like Mr. Mueller.
  Mr. Mueller is a man of integrity. That is agreed to by just about 
everybody. He has devoted his entire career to his country. He came out 
of private life to do a job on behalf of his country and be right down 
the middle. Even Attorney General Jeff Sessions has praised Mr. Mueller 
for his service and credibility, saying his ``integrity is undoubted,'' 
as is his ``experience and love of country.'' Those are Jeff Sessions' 
words. Now the political right has pulled out their partisan knives to 
try and defame his reputation.
  It is a shameful, shameful ploy. The right must be afraid of what Mr. 
Mueller is going to find. I would ask Speaker Gingrich a question. Is 
he afraid of what Mr. Mueller is going to find out? Is that why he is 
attacking his reputation? The baseless attacks on former Director 
Mueller ring hollow. Former Director Mueller has been hailed as a 
paragon of public service by people of all political stripes. This 
country comes to a low point when that kind of attack is issued.
  Despite what Speaker Gingrich may try to imply, we should have every 
confidence that he will investigate the matters at hand with integrity 
and thoroughness.
  I can tell you one thing, the little bit I know about him, Speaker 
Gingrich's attack and attacks like that will not do a thing to deter 
Director Mueller from finding out the truth.

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