Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Democrats will push President Trump’s deputy attorney general nominee to commit to appointing a special prosecutor to investigate any connection between Trump and the Russians.
Federal prosecutor Rod Rosenstein will face bipartisan questioning Tuesday at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Schumer, D-N.Y., said whether Rosenstein agrees to appoint a special prosecutor to probe an alleged Trump-Russia link is “the most important question he needs to answer.”
Schumer said if Rosenstein refuses to promise an appointment, “he’d need a darn good reason and it’s hard for me to see one right now.”
But while Democrats will push for Rosenstein to agree, they are powerless to force him to commit to a special counsel. Under Senate rules changed by the Democrats, only 51 senators need to agree to advance and confirm Rosenstein, which means he will be confirmed as long as Republicans want him confirmed.
Rosenstein’s role in the administration has become a focal point for Democrats now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former Trump campaign surrogate, has recused himself from any Russia investigation. Rosenstein, if confirmed, would be next in line to lead such an investigation.
Schumer said if Rosenstein refuses to appoint a special prosecutor, Congress should revive “a narrower version” of the independent counsel law, which expired in 1999. He pointed to recent polls showing people support an independent investigation into the allegations.
Schumer said President Trump’s weekend tweets, which accused President Obama of tapping his phones, “strengthen the argument for a special prosecutor to conduct the investigation.”
