The bill was introduced Friday by Rep. Charlie Dent. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Handful of House Republicans mobilize to protect Mueller

A small band of House Republicans has suddenly backed a bill to prevent President Donald Trump from unilaterally firing special counsel Robert Mueller — giving some bipartisan life to a measure that has largely been shunned by GOP leaders.

At least six House Republicans have endorsed the legislation in the past week, including three on Tuesday, despite a new round of assurances from Speaker Paul Ryan that the effort is unnecessary. A handful of others told POLITICO they're open to the proposal but are still evaluating it.


The bill faces long odds in a House filled with Trump allies, but the abrupt shift was notable: Only a single House Republican, Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina, had endorsed any version of the legislation prior to this month.

The moves coincided with Trump's escalating rhetoric toward Mueller, who he has accused of running a "corrupt" probe into his 2016 campaign's contacts with Russia. Mueller is also believed to be pursuing allegations of obstruction of justice against Trump in a wide-ranging investigation that has entangled his inner circle.

The bill would prohibit Mueller — or any future special counsel — from being fired without good cause, and it would allow Mueller to contest any effort to remove him in court.

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) introduced a version of the bill on Friday with Vermont Democrat Peter Welch. On Monday, Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick signed on as a cosponsor. On Tuesday morning, Rep. Ryan Costello — a third Pennsylvania Republican — endorsed the measure, according to an aide. Later in the day, Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) endorsed the measure. Jones signed on to an identical version of the bill that Democrats introduced last week.

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The new GOP support for the proposal comes despite continued assurances from Republican leaders in the House and Senate that Trump wouldn't dare fire Mueller.

"We do not believe that he should be fired. We do not believe he will be fired," Ryan said Tuesday morning at a Capitol press conference.

The movement in the House mirrors recent action in the Senate, where two Republicans — Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — recently joined two Democrats to unveil a compromise proposal to protect Mueller.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa has agreed to bring the measure to a committee vote, signaling the most aggressive move yet by a senior Republican to consider the plan. But it's unclear what its fate will be should it clear the committee. Mitch McConnell vowed Tuesday the bill would never reach the Senate floor while he’s Senate majority leader.

Dent’s bill, which is identical to the Senate version, faces even slimmer odds in the House, where the pro-Trump base of the party carries more sway.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) has shown little interest in considering the proposal. Instead, his committee has been engaged in an investigation of potential misconduct by senior FBI and Justice Department officials who helped lead the bureau's Russia investigation before Mueller took over.

Ryan has repeatedly expressed confidence that Trump won't fire Mueller, attributing his certainty to conversations he's had with White House officials. He declined to say Tuesday whether Trump himself had given such a promise.

Ryan’s remarks come despite recent New York Times reports that Trump has twice ordered Mueller to be fired, including as recently as December, only to be reeled in by staff and his legal team. The president continues to rage publicly about the expanding probe.

At the same time, interest in the bill seems to be growing among rank-and-file Republicans.

Reps. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) and Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), both vulnerable incumbents seeking reelection, indicated they're open to signing on as well, though they haven't made final decisions.

Curbelo said he would prefer to act on a bill only if Trump moves against Mueller, rather than taking a proactive approach.

"I think that it’s very important that the special counsel investigation proceed without interruption," he said. "If necessary, I’m willing to consider any legislation or any congressional action that would guarantee the continuation of that investigation."

Coffman said he's strongly considering endorsing the proposal.

"I think I might [sign on]," he said, adding that he wants to give it a close review first. "It sounds reasonable to me."

Though Dent, Costello and Ros-Lehtinen are retiring — and Jones has announced this will be his last election — Lance and Fitzpatrick face difficult reelection fights in districts that may favor Democrats this year, and showing independence from Trump might be valuable.

