Grassley: McConnell doesn’t control my committee

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday defended his decision to move legislation protecting special counsel Robert Mueller despite Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) opposition.

“Obviously, the majority leader’s views are important to consider, but they do not govern what happens here in the Judiciary Committee,” he said during a committee meeting.

{mosads}Grassley previously told sponsors of two competing special counsel bills that they needed to merge their proposals before he agreed to bring them up.

He’s explained his decision to bring up the compromise bill, which limits President Trump’s ability to fire Mueller, as keeping his word to the bipartisan group of senators.

But that pits him against McConnell, who has said the bill will not be brought up on the Senate floor.

“I’m the one who decides what we take to the floor, that’s my responsibility as the majority leader, and we will not be having this on the floor of the Senate,” McConnell told Fox News.

McConnell has argued for months that he does not believe a bill is necessary.

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation last week that would codify that only a senior Justice Department official can fire a special counsel and give Mueller or any other special counsel an “expedited review” of any firing.

Under the bill, if a court determined a special counsel wasn’t fired for “good cause,” the person would be reinstated.