Rep. Jerry Nadler (D., N.Y.) said on Sunday he is willing to withhold government funding in order to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
"Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd asked the incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee if he would be willing to hold up the government funding vote until a vote on a Mueller protection bill is held.
"Well, my current stance, and I think our stance generally, is that we must do whatever we can to protect the Mueller investigation from interference by the president," Nadler said. "We are dependent on that investigation to get to the bottom of the corruption in the campaign, of the Russian role in the campaign, in the Trump campaign, the president's role in colluding with the Russians if he did. We know his campaign did, the question is did he personally? So we have to do whatever we can to protect that investigation."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Sen. Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.) are pushing legislation to protect Mueller in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) has refused to put the legislation for a vote on the Senate floor and called it "a solution in search of a problem," since "the president is not going to fire Robert Mueller."
Nadler and Democrats look to pass similar legislation in the House and will likely do so when they take control of the chamber in January. Nadler isn't the only Democrat to suggest a possible partial government shutdown over the Mueller protection bill. California Rep. Eric Swalwell (D.) said he would not vote for any legislation to keep the government open that "doesn't include protecting Bob Mueller."