Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will urge Democrats to “stop endlessly relitigating” special counsel Robert Mueller’s two-year investigation into Russian collusion with the Trump campaign and urge them to “move on from partisan paralysis and breathless conspiracy theorizing.”
A GOP leadership aide said McConnell, R-Ky., will declare “case closed” in a Senate floor speech Tuesday morning and will chastise Democrats for refusing to accept Mueller’s conclusion that Trump did not collude with Russians to win the presidency.
“With an exhaustive investigation complete, would the country finally unify to confront the real challenges before us?” McConnell plans to say, according to excerpts of the speech.
“Would we finally be able to move on from partisan paralysis and breathless conspiracy theorizing? Or would we remain consumed by unhinged partisanship, and keep dividing ourselves to the point that Putin and his agents need only stand on the sidelines and watch as their job is done for them. Regrettably, I think the answer is obvious.”
Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have no intention of putting aside the probe. They are calling on Republicans to summon Mueller to testify and have rejected the views of Attorney General William Barr, who concluded Trump did not try to obstruct the investigation that ultimately cleared him of collusion.
Schumer said Monday Barr could not be trusted. Barr is facing a contempt vote by the House Judiciary Committee, which is seeking the release of the Mueller report without the legally required redactions that protect grand jury and classified information.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he will not call Mueller to answer questions about the 448- page report but would allow Mueller to talk to lawmakers about a contentious phone call with Barr over Barr’s four-page memo about the report findings.
[Read more: DOJ and Nadler staff to meet Tuesday ahead of contempt vote for Barr]
