Chuck Grassley to leave Judiciary Committee, paving the way for Lindsey Graham to become chair
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is moving to become the chair of the Finance Committee, paving the way for Sen. Lindsey Graham to lead the Judiciary Committee. Grassley has previously served as chairman of the Finance Committee.
"The economy is better than it's been in years and there's a sense of optimism about the future of our country that people haven't felt in a long time thanks to the pro-growth policies of a Republican president and a Republican majority in Congress," Grassley said in a statement about his decision to move. "Looking ahead, at the Finance Committee, I want to continue to work to make sure that as many Americans as possible get to experience this good economy for themselves."
The Judiciary Committee has played a prominent role in the first two years of President Trump, advancing over 80 judicial nominees to confirmation on the federal bench, including two Supreme Court justices. Graham, the second in line for committee leadership, has previously expressed interest in leading the committee, saying it would be "an honor."
Graham is more moderate than Mr. Trump on some issues, such as comprehensive immigration reform, and also helped to pass a bipartisan bill on protecting Special Counsel Robert Mueller through the Judiciary Committee.
"If we bring it to the floor I'll definitely vote on it," Graham told reporters about the special counsel bill. "I don't see any movement to fire Mueller but legislatively it'd probably be good to put it into law for the future."
However, the senator has grown closer to the president in recent months, a few years after he called Mr. Trump "race-baiting xenophobic bigot" in 2015.
"I've tried to be helpful where I could because I think he needs all the help he can get," Graham said about his improved relationship with the president. "You can be a better critic when people understand that you're trying to help them be successful."
Graham has also been a vocal advocate for Mr. Trump's Supreme Court nominees, particularly recently-confirmed Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Graham unloaded on Democrats during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings in a furious tirade accusing them of cooking up sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh for political reasons.
Graham also met with Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker this week. Graham said on "Face the Nation" on Sunday that he did not believe Whitaker, who has repeatedly criticized the Mueller investigation, should recuse himself from overseeing the probe.
