Two House Republicans have joined Democrats on legislation that would create an independent commission to investigate ties between Russia and the Trump administration.
Reps. Walter Jones, R-N.C., and Justin Amash, R-Mich., are cosponsors of the bill that Democrats are hoping to get passed in the House over expected Republican opposition.
Because Democrats don’t control the chamber, they are circulating a discharge petition that they hope a majority of members will sign. If that happens, GOP leaders would be required to hold a vote on the bill.
A majority of House members, 217, would have to sign the discharge petition in order to force a vote. With just 193 Democrats in the House, they would need 24 Republicans to sign onto the petition in order to force the vote.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., prodded other Republicans to sign onto the effort, and said the initiative is a “courage call” to other GOP lawmakers.
Discharge petitions are usually a tall order for the minority, but Trump’s latest scandals involving Russia have the potential to draw more Republicans who call for an independent probe.
On Monday, the Washington Post reported that Trump divulged classified information to two Russian officials last week. And Tuesday, the New York Times said Trump encouraged the FBI to drop its probe of then national security adviser Mike Flynn, which some are already saying amounts to obstruction of justice.
“We hear of classified materials being leaked to a nation that is not our enemy but is certainly not our ally,” caucus chairman Joe Crowley said as he laid out the case for the panel. “We know of a memo from former director of the FBI Comey, that possibly, at the very least in my opinion would show that an abuse of power has taken place. We also are concerned about the complete and utter disregard for our national security that is taken so cavalierly at the White House today and by President Trump.”
Many Republicans have said the FBI needs to release the memos outlining Trump’s actions, but Democrats said the GOP isn’t moving quickly enough. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said House Speaker Paul Ryan has, “zero, zero, zero appetite for any investigation of President Trump.”
When asked if Democrats are discouraged by the years of work these kinds of commissions can create, Cummings said, “If it takes a year, if it takes two years, three years, We need to get this right.”
Democrats also said the proposed investigative panel wouldn’t end or supplant the other Russia-related investigations that are currently underway within the Senate and House Intelligence committees, and also at the FBI.
Due to an editing error, this story incorrectly said the two Republicans had signed onto the discharge petition. They have only signed onto the underlying legislation, not the petition to force a vote on that legislation.
