The public, and Congress, are still waiting to see the full report on the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into President Trump’s dealings with Russia. To some in Congress, this is unacceptable, while to others, it seems, forgetting the report ever happened would be preferable. Unsurprisingly, this divide falls along partisan lines.
Today, six Democratic House committee chairs sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr demanding that the report be released to Congress by April 2nd, according to NBC. Meanwhile, in the GOP-controlled Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a non-binding resolution to make the report public.
“We look forward to receiving the report in full no later than April 2, and to begin receiving the underlying evidence and documents that same day,” the letter from the House chairs read.
“To the extent that you believe applicable law limits your ability to comply, we urge you to begin the process of consultation with us immediately in order to establish shared parameters for resolving those issues without delay,” it continued.
The letter was signed by the chairs of the House Judiciary Committee, House Oversight Committee, House Intelligence Committee, House Financial Services Committee, Ways and Means Committee, and House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“All I’m interested in is for them to release the full report, the full Mueller report,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Monday.
On Sunday, Barr released a summary of the report, which said Mueller found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, though it didn’t clear Trump of obstructing justice. Trump and Republicans generally took the report as an exoneration, though the summary specifically said “while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it does not exonerate him.”
The non-binding resolution to release the report was passed unanimously in the House earlier this month, and was presented to the Senate by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. But McConnell shot it down, citing national security concerns, despite the president’s assertion on Monday that releasing the report to the public “wouldn’t bother him at all.”
It looks like if we want the full report, we’re gonna have to wait.