A bill to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's job has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 14-7. Four Republicans joined Democrats in approving it, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (SC), Thom Tillis (NC), Jeff Flake (AZ) and Chuck Grassley (IA).
But, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had already informed his colleagues that The Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act will not get the courtesy of a vote. That's okay, Sen. Grassley said, because with all due respect it's not his decision.
"Obviously, the majority leader's views are important to consider, but they do not govern what happens here in the Judiciary Committee," Grassley said at a committee meeting last week.
Opposing senators have decried the bill as an "unconstitutional" usurpation of power. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), for instance, explained that while he agrees Mueller deserves the opportunity to finish his investigation, this bill is the wrong solution.
"What I will not do—and what I urge my colleagues to reject—is subvert our constitutional design in favor of momentary urgencies," he wrote in the Wall Street Journal.
It's in Trump's interest to not fire Mueller because the investigation will likely vindicate him, Hatch suggested.