President Barack Obama signed a bill Tuesday that will extend FBI Director Robert Mueller’s tenure at the FBI until September 2013.
The White House also said the president has officially submitted Mueller’s name to the Senate for re-confirmation.
Mueller’s 10-year term would end Aug. 2 should his nomination fail, but both parties in the Senate have expressed confidence that he will easily win back his position.
The White House has pushed for an extension of Mueller’s term in order to preserve the continuity of Obama’s national security team until the end of his term. The House passed the measure by a voice vote on Monday.
The White House’s original plan for a straight-forward extension of the director’s term faced opposition from some Senate Republicans with constitutional concerns, and then was briefly held up by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) until he could meet personally to discuss FBI policies with Mueller. To silence constitutional objections, the White House agreed to alter the bill to create a special two-year term for Mueller instead.
