Here are all the Republicans and Dems who have called for Sessions' resignation or recusal
Attorney General Jeff Sessions finds himself amid a growing scandal. Sessions had denied during confirmation hearings that he ever met with Russian officials during the presidential campaign, when he served as an adviser to and surrogate for then-candidate Donald Trump. Yesterday, reports emerged that Sessions had indeed met with the Russian ambassador during the course of the campaign — twice.
Sessions' denials had come under oath, leading to allegations of perjury.
Many congressional Democrats have already called for Sessions' resignation.
Republicans aren't exactly circling the wagons either, with an increasing number saying Sessions should recuse himself from any Justice Department-led investigations about whether Trump and his campaign aides had improper communications with Russia during the election.
Here's the list of Democrats and Republicans who have either called for Sessions to resign, or told him to recuse himself from any investigations.
Calls for recusal:
1. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)
Chaffetz, the chairman of the Government and Oversight Reform Committee who has been skeptical of the need for a congressional investigation into Trump aides' communications with Russian officials, called on Sessions to clarify his statements to Congress and recuse himself from DoJ investigations.
2. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
McCarthy called for Sessions to recuse himself.
3. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Graham called for Sessions to recuse himself during a CNN town hall appearance that took place as the news broke Wednesday night.
4. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)
Franken, who asked the initial question that got Sessions into trouble in the first place during Sessions' confirmation hearing, called for Sessions' recusal and a special prosecutor without any ties to the Trump campaign to oversee any investigations.
5. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
Rubio suggested the need for a special prosecutor during an interview on NPR Thursday morning.
6. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)
In a statement, Collins called on Sessions to "recuse himself to ensure public confidence in the Justice Department's investigation."
7. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.)
Casey called for Sessions' immediate recusal.
8. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
Durbin called for Sessions' recusal.
9. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
Booker called for Sessions' recusal, as well as an "independent special counsel" to look into "possible collision with the Russians."
10. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)
Hassan, a freshman Democrat, called for Sessions' recusal and an independent counsel to investigate.
11. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
Wyden said "recusal is not enough" and called for an independent special counsel.
12. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Klobuchar called for Sessions' recusal.
13. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
Shaheen, like many of her Senate Democratic colleagues, called for Sessions' recusal and an independent special prosecutor.
14. Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.)
Leahy, the former chair of the Judiciary Committee, called for Sessions' recusal and for a special counsel to investigate.
15. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.)
Comstock, who represents a swing seat in the Northern Virginia suburbs, called on Sessions to recuse himself.
16. Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho)
Labrador, one of the most conservative members of the House, said Sessions shouldn't "be leading the investigation" and should recuse himself.
17. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
Portman, who was just re-elected to his Senate seat, called for Sessions' recusal, telling reporters that it's, "best for him and for the country to recuse himself from the DOJ Russia probe."
18. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.)
Engel, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Sessions must recuse himself and a special prosecutor should handle any probe into Russia's election interference.
19. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.)
Thompson called for an "independent investigation."
20. Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.)
McSally told the Hill that Sessions should recuse himself.
21. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.)
Heitkamp tweeted that Sessions should, "at a minimum recuse himself from investigation into Russian influence & interference in U.S. dem process."
22. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)
Schiff said Sessions should recuse himself.
"This is not even a close call; it is a must," Schiff said.
23. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.)
"Sessions must recuse himself from any investigation involving Russia's involvement in 2016 presidential election. And it's not enough to assign this investigation to a deputy attorney general who works with Sessions every day," Sherman said in a statement. "So I am renewing my call for a Special Counsel to investigate the matter."
24. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.)
Evans said Sessions "must recuse himself."
25. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.)
Bass said Sessions' "Full recusal and an independent investigation are both mandatory."
26. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
"At a minimum, Jeff Sessions should recuse himself and appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate Russian involvement in the 2016 election and connections to the Trump campaign," Bennet said in a statement.
27. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine)
King said Sessions should recuse himself.
28. Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.)
Costa said Sessions should recuse himself.
29. Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.)
Coffman said Sessions "made a grave omission" and should recuse himself.
30. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Feinstein said Sessions should recuse himself, and that his recusal is "long overdue."
31. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
Issa said Sessions should recuse himself because the U.S. needs a "clear-eyed view" of any Russian interference.
32. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.)
Menendez said Sessions should recuse himself.
33. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
Kaine tweeted Sessions should recuse himself, as well as "publicly explain his misleading testimony" to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"If his answers are not satisfactory, I'll call for his resignation," Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate, tweeted.
34. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
Nelson said Sessions should recuse himself.
35. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.)
Connolly said Sessions must recuse himself.
"We need answers immediately," Connolly tweeted. "Congress must launch an independent investigation."
36. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
Duckworth said Sessions must recuse himself.
"If he refuses to do so or if he lied under oath, he needs to resign," Duckworth added.
37. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.)
"Sessions must recuse himself and, at the very least, clarify his testimony," Lance said in a statement.
38. Rep. Frank Lobiondo (R-N.J.)
"Attorney General Sessions must recuse himself from any investigation into Russia activities & clarify his testimony before the Senate," Lobiondo tweeted.
39. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.)
"At a bare minimum, Sessions must recuse himself from the Russia investigation and all related work at the DOJ," Sewell tweeted.
40. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.)
Esty said "at a minimum" Sessions should recuse himself.
41. Sen. Dean Heller (D-Nev.)
Heller, up for re-election in a state Clinton won in 2016, said Sessions should recuse himself.
Calls for resignation:
1. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.)
Cummings, the ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called on Sessions to resign.
2. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
Pelosi called for Sessions to resign.
3. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Warren called for Sessions' resignation in a Wednesday evening Facebook post.
4. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Schumer called for Sessions' resignation.
5. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)
Harris, a freshman Democrat, called for Sessions to resign.
6. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Sanders called on Sessions to resign.
7. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
Gillibrand said Sessions "gave false testimony under oath" and that "should disqualify him from leading the Justice Department."
8. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
McCaskill called on Sessions to resign, saying, "It's clear Attorney General Sessions misled the Senate."
9. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
Markey called on Sessions to resign.
10. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
Merkley said Sessions "under oath, misled Congress about his conversations with Russia" and called for his resignation. Merkley also said an independent special prosecutor is needed "to get to the truth."
11. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.)
Nadler made his call for Sessions' resignation conditional, tweeting, "If it turns out Sessions lied under oath, he of course will be sbjct to criminal prosecution & shld immediately resign."
12. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)
Jayapal, like Nadler, said, "If this report is true and Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath, he should immediately resign."
13. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)
Lieu called on Sessions to resign.
14. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.)
Swalwell said in an interview on MSNBC that "[Sessions] probably should resign."
15. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.)
Crowley said Sessions "has proved he's ill-fit to serve and should immediately resign."
16. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.)
Clarke posted a picture of a letter Coretta Scott King sent in the 1980s warning the Senate not to confirm Sessions to a federal judgeship he had been nominated for by President Ronald Reagan.
"#CorettaScottKing warned us not to trust Jeff #Sessions," Clarke tweeted. "He should resign from @TheJusticeDept immediately."
17. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio)
Ryan called on Sessions to resign, saying his testimony was "at best intentionally misleading and at worst perjury."
18. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)
Raskin called on Sessions to resign and said there must be a "nonpartisan investigation."
19. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)
Jackson Lee called for Sessions' resignation.
20. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.)
Beyer said Sessions "must resign."
21. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)
Blumenauer said Sessions is "unfit to serve" and should resign.
22. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.)
Brownley said Sessions should "resign and step down immediately."
23. Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.)
Capuano said Sessions "should resign and an independent investigation commence."
24. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.)
Chu said Sessions "betrayed trust already" and "must resign."
25. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.)
Cicilline said that if Sessions lied under oath, "he must resign" and "face the consequences for committing perjury."
26. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.)
Clark said Sessions should "immediately resign."
27. Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.)
Barragan called on Sessions to resign.
28. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.)
Gallego said Sessions "can't be trusted" and called on him to resign.
29. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)
Cohen called on Sessions to resign, using the hashtag #FireSessions in a tweet.
30. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)
Schakowsky described Sessions' actions as "perjury" and said he "must resign."
31. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.)
Kennedy said Sessions "was never fit" to lead the DOJ, and said the latest news "demands immediate resignation."
32. Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.)
Sánchez tweeted, "Sessions swore to tell the truth, the whole truth & nothing but the truth. He apparently didn't. He must resign."
33. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.)
Grijalva tweeted a rhetorical question, asking, "Is there anyone in the Trump administration that hasn't met with the Russians?" followed by the hashtag #RESIGN.
34. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.)
McCollum said Sessions "deceived the Senate," meaning he now "can't be trusted as our top law enforcement officer" and that Trump "should fire him."
35. Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D-Nev.)
Kihuen called for Sessions to resign.
36. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas)
Doggett tweeted that Sessions "cannot investigate himself & Trump cohorts."
"He must go," Doggett added.
37. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.)
McGovern tweeted that Sessions should resign.
38. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)
Moulton called on Sessions to resign, saying he "can't be trusted to independently investigate Trump's perverse relations with Russia."
39. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa)
Loebsack called for Sessions' resignation.
"It is now clear that Attorney General Sessions lied under oath during his confirmation hearings in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee," Loebsack said in a statement. "In light of the newly released report, the attorney general must resign."
40. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.)
Pocan called on Sessions to resign.
41. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)
Maloney called on Sessions to resign.
42. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)
Meeks said Sessions "shouldn't have been confirmed in the first place," and called on him to resign.
43. Rep. José Serrano (D-N.Y.)
Serrano called on Sessions to resign.
44. Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.)
Velazquez said Sessions "must resign."
45. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.)
Schrader called Sessions' actions "inexcusable" and called for him to resign.
46. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)
Pallone called on Sessions to resign.
47. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)
Pascrell said Sessions "lied under oath to Congress" and "must step down."
48. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.)
Payne said "recusal is insufficient" and said Sessions must resign.
49. Rep. Albio Sires (D-N.J.)
Sires said Sessions should resign.
50. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)
Watson Coleman called on Sessions to resign.
51. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)
Lee called Sessions "unfit to serve as AG" and said he should "resign immediately."
52. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)
Khanna said Sessions must resign and there must be an "independent, bipartisan investigation into Russia's interference in our democratic process."
53. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.)
Takano said Sessions should resign.
54. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)
Waters did not mince words, saying, "Those of us who opposed Sessions from the beginning saw him for who he was — a throwback and a liar."
She called on him to resign.
55. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.)
Yarmuth called on Trump to fire Sessions "immediately."
56. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)
Pingree called on Sessions to resign.
57. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.)
Nolan said Sessions "has failed to be truthful" and must resign.
58. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.)
Kildee said Sessions' recusal is "not enough" and said he should resign.
59. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.)
Welch said Sessions should resign.
60. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.)
Espaillat tweeted, "Sessions has to go!"
61. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
Van Hollen called on Sessions to resign.
"In failing to tell the truth – under oath – about his conversations with Russia at a time when so many questions surround Moscow's effort to influence our elections and the nature of their relationship to individuals in the Trump Administration, it is clear that Attorney General Sessions is no longer able to meet that standard and must resign," Van Hollen said in a statement.
62. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
"It is no longer enough that Attorney General Sessions recuse himself in these investigations," Brown tweeted. "He must resign his post immediately."
63. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev)
"Even the appearance of impropriety is inherently disqualifying for anyone serving as our top law enforcement official," Cortez Masto tweeted. "Sessions must resign."
64. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)
"Attorney General Sessions needs to come clean and testify under oath and answer questions in a public hearing," Henrich said in a statement. "If he committed perjury or even misled or knowingly withheld information from Congress and the American people, then he should resign."
65. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
"At this point, the only way to get a fair investigation of Trump/Russia ties is with a new AG," Murphy tweeted. "Sessions should resign."
66. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
"If AG #Sessions lied & misled the American people during his confirmation hearing, he should resign," Murray tweeted.
67. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
"AG Sessions misled the Senate under oath about his contact with Russia, a country that threatens our security," Stabenow tweeted. "He should resign."
68. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
"AG Sessions has raised so many doubts abt his integrity & ability to lead the DOJ that I believe America would be better off if he resigned," Udall tweeted.
69. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)
"If reports that Attorney General #Sessions made false statements to the Senate are true, he must resign," Hoyer tweeted.
70. Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.)
Adams called for Sessions' resignation.
71. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.)
Aguilar called for Sessions' resignation.
72. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio)
Beatty called for Sessions' resignation.
73. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.)
Bonamici called for Sessions' resignation.
74. Rep. Brendan Boylce (D-Pa.)
Boyle called for Sessions' resignation.
75. Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.)
Brown called for Sessions' resignation.
76. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.)
Bustos called for Sessions' resignation.
77. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.)
Carbajal called for Sessions' resignation.
78. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.)
Cárdenas called for Sessions' resignation.
79. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.)
Castor called for Sessions' resignation.
80. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)
Clyburn called for Sessions' resignation.
81. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.)
Crist called for Sessions' resignation.
82. Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.)
Davis called for Sessions' resignation.
83. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.)
DeGette called for Sessions' resignation.
84. Rep. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.)
Delaney called for Sessions' resignation.
85. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)
DeLauro called for Sessions' resignation.
86. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.)
DeSaulnier called for Sessions' resignation.
87. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.)
Deutch called for Sessions' resignation.
88. Rep. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.)
Dingell called for Sessions' resignation.
89. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.)
Doyle called for Sessions' resignation.
90. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.)
Ellison called for Sessions' resignation.
91. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.)
Eshoo called for Sessions' resignation.
92. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.)
Foster called for Sessions' resignation.
93. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.)
Frankel called on Sessions to resign.
94. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio)
Fudge called on Sessions to resign.
95. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.)
Garamendi called on Sessions to resign.
96. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii)
Hanabusa called on Sessions to resign.
97. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.)
Hastings called on Sessions to resign.
98. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.)
Higgins called on Sessions to resign.
99. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio)
Kaptur called on Sessions to resign.
100. Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.)
Keating called on Sessions to resign.
101. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.)
Langevin called on Sessions to resign.
102. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.)
Larsen called on Sessions to resign.
103. Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.)
Lawrence called on Sessions to resign.
104. Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.)
Lowenthal called on Sessions to resign.
105. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.)
Lowey called on Sessions to resign.
106. Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.)
Luján called on Sessions to resign.
107. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisholm (D-N.M.)
Lujan Grisholm called on Sessions to resign.
108. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.)
Lynch called on Sessions to resign.
109. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.)
Maloney called on Sessions to resign.
110. Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.)
Matsui called on Sessions to resign.
111. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)
Moore called on Sessions to resign.
112. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.)
Napolitano called on Sessions to resign.
113. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.)
Neal called on Sessions to resign.
114. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.)
Norcross called on Sessions to resign.
115. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.)
Peters called on Sessions to resign.
116. Rep. David Price (D-N.C.)
Price called on Sessions to resign.
117. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.)
Quigley called on Sessions to resign.
118. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y)
Rice called on Sessions to resign.
119. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.)
Richmond called on Sessions to resign.
120. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.)
Roybal-Allard called on Sessions to resign.
121. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.)
Schneider called on Sessions to resign.
122. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.)
Shea-Porter called on Sessions to resign.
123. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.)
Slaughter called on Sessions to resign.
124. Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.)
Soto called on Sessions to resign.
125. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.)
Speier called on Sessions to resign.
126. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.)
Takano called on Sessions to resign.
127. Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.)
Torres called on Sessions to resign.
128. Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.)
Tsongas called on Sessions to resign.
129. Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.)
Vargas called on Sessions to resign.
130. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas)
Veasey called on Sessions to resign.
131. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)
Wasserman Schultz called on Sessions to resign.
March 3, 2017, 9:17 a.m.: This post has been updated.
Correction: March 2, 2017
