Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) took to the Senate floor Wednesday morning to discuss the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
The Senate minority leader argued that the deputy attorney general's letter was not the "true reason" for Comey's firing and called for a special prosecutor to probe alleged ties between Russia and Donald Trump presidential campaign.
"Mr. President, there is little reason to think that Mr. [Rod] Rosenstein's letter is the true reason that President Trump fired Director Comey," Schumer said. "Why? Because if the administration truly had objections to the way Director Comey handled the Clinton investigation, they would have had them the minute the president got into office, but he didn't fire Director Comey then."
Schumer then called for the deputy attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Russian collusion.
"If there was ever a time when circumstances warranted a special prosecutor, it is right now," Schumer said. "Mr. Rosenstein already expressed concern that Director Comey damaged the integrity of the FBI. The attorney general has already had to recuse himself from the investigation for being too close to the president."
"If Mr. Rosenstein is true to his word," Schumer continued, "that he believes this investigation must be fair, free, thorough, and politically independent, if he believes as I do that the American people must be able to have faith in the impartiality of this investigation, he must appoint a special prosecutor and get his investigation out of the hands of the FBI and far away from the heavy hand of this administration."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) rejected calls for a special prosecutor on Wednesday, saying it would impede the current work being done.