Rep. Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffChris Matthews ripped for complimenting Trump's 'true presidential behavior' on Ginsburg Trump casts doubt on Ginsburg statement, wonders if it was written by Schiff, Pelosi or Schumer Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE (D-Calif.) argued Wednesday that outgoing Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsGOP set to release controversial Biden report Trump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status MORE submitted his resignation because he failed to end special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's investigation.

Schiff, who is poised to become chairman of the House Intelligence Committee after Democrats won the House in the midterms on Tuesday, added in a statement that Sessions's ouster places Mueller's probe into Russian election interference in "new and immediate peril."

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"It is abundantly clear that Sessions was forced out for following the advice of ethics lawyers at the Department of Justice and recusing himself from the Russia probe, and for failing to bring about an end to an investigation that has produced multiple indictments and convictions and may implicate the President or others around him," Schiff said.

The statement from Schiff came just hours after Sessions issued his resignation at President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE's request. Trump announced on Twitter that Matthew Whitaker, Sessions’s chief of staff, would take over as acting attorney general.

The decision means that Whitaker, who has been publicly critical of certain elements of Mueller's probe, will oversee the investigation.

“Whitaker, who the President announced will serve as Acting Attorney General, has been publicly critical of Special Counsel Mueller and has argued, without legal basis, that the Special Counsel is prohibited from investigating the President’s finances even if they are relevant to the Russia probe," Schiff said. "In fact, this may be precisely why the President has chosen to put Whitaker in this role."

Schiff concluded by saying that any interference in Mueller's probe would "cause a constitutional crisis."

Multiple Democratic lawmakers echoed Schiff's remarks in the hours following Sessions' ouster. Rep. Jerry Nadler Jerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerSchumer: 'Nothing is off the table' if GOP moves forward with Ginsburg replacement Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence House passes bill to protect pregnant workers MORE (D-N.Y.), who is set to become the House Judiciary Committee chairman, said that Americans "must have answers immediately" on why Sessions resigned.

The congressman also said Tuesday night that Trump was about to learn "that he’s not above the law."

Trump has repeatedly called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt," and on Wednesday said he could fire everybody with ties to if if he wanted. But he added that he would not do that for political reasons.