While doing his best to discredit special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the Trump campaign and administration, Congressman Goodlatte acknowledged in February that it should proceed.

But like most other Congressional Republicans, Goodlatte has shown no interest in passing legislation to protect Mueller from being fired by a clearly angry President Trump.

So we shouldn’t expect a response to a letter from three Democratic members of the Goodlatte-chaired House Judiciary Committee.

In a letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) obtained by POLITICO, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the top Democrat on the panel, joined Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), in calling for urgent action on a pair of bills to protect Mueller against a unilateral ouster.

“[W]e have grown increasingly concerned that the President may either order the firing of Special Counsel Mueller, or take other action to disrupt his and other pending investigations, such as firing Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions or Deputy Attorney General [Rod] Rosenstein,” the Democrats wrote.

The bills, filed months ago, have drawn widespread support among Democrats but have gotten no traction among House Republicans, who have argued that Trump is unlikely to fire Mueller and therefore no action is necessary.

Of course Trump is “unlikely” to fire Mueller until he decides otherwise. Why wouldn’t Goodlatte want to pass a law to protect the special counsel– just in case? And what will he do if Trump concludes it’s time for Mueller to go?