Senate GOP discussing vote on Mueller protection bill

Senate Republicans are measuring support for legislation protecting special counsel Robert Mueller and could bring the bill up for a vote, Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said Tuesday.

Cornyn, in separate interviews with reporters and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, said Republicans could give the legislation a vote as they try to defuse a fight with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) that is holding up dozens of judicial nominees.

“We’re whipping that to see where people are. I think the leader needs that information to decide how to manage all the competing demands on our time,” Cornyn said when asked about discussions within the Republican caucus about the legislation.{mosads}

Flake has pledged to vote against all of President Trump’s judicial nominees until he gets a vote on the legislation. With Republicans holding an 11-10 majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Flake’s tactics effectively block them from moving nominees to the full Senate unless they can get help from Democrats.

Cornyn said Republicans were willing to hold a vote on the legislation “if that’s what it’s going to take” to move nominees. But, asked if it was a realistic possibility, he said leadership was still measuring support to get “an idea of what the outcome would be.”