Durbin: Most Americans ‘Looking For Solutions’

dick durbin
Jason Marck/WBEZ
dick durbin
Jason Marck/WBEZ

Durbin: Most Americans ‘Looking For Solutions’

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Most Americans are looking for Congress to deliver solutions instead of investigating President Donald Trump, Sen. Dick Durbin said the day after midterm elections allowed Democrats to take control of the House of Representatives.

“Most Americans don’t want us to get mad and get even; they want us to get something done,” the U.S. senator from Illinois said Wednesday on Morning Shift. “They’d like to see us make some positive changes in the law that helps struggling families.”

During the post-election special, which took place just hours before U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was forced to resign, Durbin offered his theories on what he believes might happen next in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Robert Mueller’s investigation

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin: [Robert Mueller] kind of was raised in the tradition of a Department of Justice that had hard and fast rules when it came to election time. Before Mr. Comey, the rule was: In the closing 60 days, you don’t say anything. Because the suggestion that you’re going to indict someone in the closing days of an election really creates an unfair advantage to the prosecutor. And so, the Department of Justice held back. I think Mueller is inspired by that basic tradition, and so I would suspect that if he’s going to do something, it would happen now — between now and perhaps even the new Congress.

If anyone can be ‘above the law’

Durbin: I don’t know what [Mueller] will say. The reaction of the president will, of course, be major as to what happens next. If the president is confrontational with Bob Mueller, we’re going to be in the circumstance where we could face a constitutional crisis as to whether any person in America, including the president, is above the law.

The new House of Representatives

Durbin: As to the initiative of the Democratic House, when it comes to questions of investigation and impeachment, I really counsel against conversation at all on impeachment. And the reason is, I’ll just remind my Democratic friends of two words: Move On. It’s an organization created during the impeachment of Bill Clinton that said basically, “Move on from this waste of time impeaching Bill Clinton.” That I think is a public sentiment that’s shared today in America.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Click the “play” button to listen to the entire segment.