Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., tore into the House Intelligence Committee for its lack of bipartisanship in a memo purportedly revealing FBI surveillance abuses, saying chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., had "neutered" the pubic's confidence.
In an interview Thursday night on CNN Primetime with Chris Cuomo, Manchin said the Senate Intelligence Committee would never conduct an investigation in the way its House counterpart has done.
"Devin Nunes, pardon the pun, he's neutered the confidence people could have in the House Intelligence Committee,” Manchin said.
"We don't come from the Senate side unless we have agreement in a bipartisan way," he said. "They're working in the House Intelligence [Committee] strictly . . . on a partisan participation. That is not how the intelligence committee on either side has been set up."
He also defended FBI agents as "true patriots."
"If you don't believe the professionalism that that have is real, then go out and spend some time before you start talking and degrade them," he said. "These people do not do this for fame or fortune . . . They can all do an awful lot better financially if they go into the private sector. These are true patriots."
He also asserted the Senate and House will not stand by if there is an attempt to remove Russia investigation special counsel Robert Mueller.
"I pray to the good lord that the president or his administration does not move on Bob Mueller, does not try to remove him any way shape or form," Manchin said. "You'll see Democrats and Republicans coming together as Americans and doing their job in the Senate and in the House. I really believe that."
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