Despite the naming of a special counsel to investigate if there was Russian interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections and whether White House officials were involved, lawmakers in both Houses of Congress and their various committees and subcommittees pledged to move forward with separate investigations, even though they may meet with repetition, overlap and roadblocks in their probes.
Members of the House and Senate this week attended separate closed door meetings with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who assured lawmakers the investigations by various committees in Congress could work alongside the efforts of special counsel former FBI Director Robert Mueller, The Hill reported Friday.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and vice chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA., said they planned to continue their investigation. And, two other committees are also investigating — the House Oversight Committee and a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. All have requested former FBI Director James Comey to appear before them to testify, according to the Hill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has maintained the proper place for investigating the issue was within Congress and its intelligence committees. And, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Mueller's appointment as special counsel did not absolve Congress of the necessity to study the matter.
"These bipartisan, bicameral investigations — House Intelligence Committee, Senate Intelligence Committee — are going to continue their investigations," Ryan said during a press briefing in Washington. "We're going to keep doing our jobs — keep our Russia investigations going."
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