Capitol Hill Reacts: What Lawmakers Are Saying about Comey's Dismissal
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are sounding off over President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey.
A handful of Republicans are skeptical over the president's move, while most are defending the action.
"I think President Trump was well within his power to do so, exercise reasonable judgment," remarked Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "Now it's incumbent on the president to pick someone we can unite around."
"And let me tell you about the president's cabinet," he added. "I think he's hit home runs across the board -- in particular, with national security. And he has a chance to do it with a new FBI director."
Graham says the Russia-Trump campaign investigation will go on because it's bigger than Comey.
It's a sentiment echoed by Vice President Mike Pence, who paid a visit to Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
"The American people have to have confidence in the Federal Bureau of Investigation," he told lawmakers. "Because of the actions the attorney general outlined to the president that were endorsed and agreed to by the attorney general, the president made the right decision at the right time."
But some Republicans say the timing of Comey's firing will raise eyebrows.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., agrees with the Democrats who want a special prosecutor to take over the investigation and determine if ties between the Trump campaign and Russia do exist.
"I've always believed we should have a select committee or commission because it's a very large issue, and it will get larger as time goes by," he warned.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., noted, "This is a stress test of constitutional democracy what we are living in right now. All the checks and balances that are in our Constitution -- James Madison put them there -- were to try and check against an abusive executive."
Other GOP lawmakers say all Republicans should stand firm, adding that a special prosecutor is not needed because it's a counter intelligence investigation, not a criminal investigation.
