House votes overwhelmingly to demand publication of Mueller report

WASHINGTON – Republicans in the House joined the Democrats on Thursday to ask the Justice Ministry to release to Congress and the public the full findings of the Special Adviser's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 elections and the possible involvement of President Trump's campaign.

Although the resolution is non-binding and can not force the Department of Justice to take any particular action, the Democrats who introduced it in the House are trying to pressure the Attorney General, William P. Barr, before the investigation does not end, to share what Robert S Mueller III produces. Far from being an obstacle, Republicans have joined the Democrats en masse. On the 420-0 vote, four Republicans voted present.

"This report must come out, must be available to the American public for a catharsis that will allow us to start with the facts, to understand what has happened and to start rebuilding the faith of the American people," he said. said representative Jim Himes, Connecticut Democrat and a prominent member of the Intelligence Committee, who opened his own inquiry into Russia.

The Republicans called the resolution a waste of time, but they did not want to oppose it.

"Thanks to broad bipartisan support, the House has accepted: the American people deserve to know the truth about what Special Adviser Mueller has discovered, and we should finally see this investigation come to an end," said Steve Scalise Louisiana. , the second Republican, in a statement.

The four "present" votes were two libertarians opposed to such resolutions, representatives Justin Amash of Michigan and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and two ardent Loyalists of Trump, representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida and Paul Gosar of Arizona .

"It's just a reformulation of the regulations. Attorney General Barr will comply with the regulations, "said Georgia's Doug Collins, Republican, who heads the Judiciary Committee. "He said it."

The resolution – sponsored by Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a handful of other Democratic Committee officials – "calls for the publication of any report of Special Prosecutor Mueller to the Attorney General. except to the extent that the public disclosure of any part of it is expressly prohibited by law. "

Under the rules governing special councils, Mr. Mueller is expected to produce a confidential report on his prosecution decisions to Mr. Barr, who will then review it and produce his own report to Congress. A report by the national public radio that one of the Andrew Weissmann, about to leave the special prosecutor's office, expects a report to the Justice Department to be imminent.

But Mr Barr is opposed to what he will disclose to Congress and the public, reserving the right to keep certain things secret.