CNN "The Situation Room" Transcript: Security Analysis

Interview

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KEILAR: It's amazing. All right. Tom Fuentes, thanks so much for that.

Joining me now, Congressman John Garamendi of California. He's a leading Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.

Congressman, thanks so much for joining us today and let us know if you have any information about this possible terror threat in Munich. What are you hearing?

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, just exactly what you've heard. We've seen the clear accounts. We've seen some of the translated press releases from the Munich police. Obviously, they're very, very, concerned. And as you said a moment ago, it's 12:00 in Munich.

So, that city and I think most every city around the world is experiencing much higher level of potential threat and much more awareness of it and we certainly are here in the United States, not just the big cities, New York, Chicago, L.A., but also smaller cities, all of us on alert, all of us paying attention and hopefully, all of us going to enjoy a great New Year's celebration.

KEILAR: What's your biggest concern in terms of potential terrorist threats or is that really your biggest concern that you can't pinpoint where the terror threat would be?

GARAMENDI: Well, I think that's obviously everybody is looking over their shoulder and that's good. But at the same time, this is a huge country. We're a very, very successful country and we've had extraordinary law enforcement.

If you put aside the San Bernardino issue and other domestic shootings that have occurred, we're basically a safe country. And so our police are out there, our FBI, our security agencies, they're watching, they're doing their job. Obviously, they found somebody in Rochester and they found, as we said, 60 others across the nation this year doing what they need to do.

We're ramping up, we're paying attention and we're looking for these kinds of one off incidents where someone is brought into the ISIS orbit and encouraged to commit some sort of terrorist act. So, the neighborhood, the neighbors, all of us need to be aware and reporting what we see. This is New Years and all across this nation, it's our opportunity to celebrate this nation celebrate our family, celebrate the success that we have and look forward to a much better year next year.

KEILAR: Can I ask you something? You said that we all need to be vigilant.

GARAMENDI: Sure.

KEILAR: And this is really -- you know, this is a line of defense in this is people paying attention. This man in Rochester who was arrested and charged got through a Walmart checkout purchasing zip ties, a ski mask, ammonia, rubber gloves. Is that -- I mean, when you hear that, that he without anyone noticing or even raising any red flags, what do you think about that?

GARAMENDI: Well, I think it's worth worrying about. I think it's worth -- the police in that city apparently he was, has a criminal record. Whether he's out on parole, probation, we don't know yet, nor do we know how the police agencies discovered him.

What mechanism did they use to find this individual? That's going to be a very, very important piece of this puzzle somewhere, somehow, the security agencies in this country discovered this individual before he could do anything except buy some stuff at Walmart, which in and of itself may have meant nothing. But we need to watch closely and we really need to support our police agencies as they go about their very difficult task trying to keep us aware and to keep us aware and to keep us secure and safe. It's difficult. I mean, you have millions of people out in the street gathering, watching fireworks, celebrating, the bars are busy. The restaurants are busy.

So, there is a lot of potential for problems, but there is also even greater potential for celebration for happiness and for really revealing the reality of America. And that we are really in good shape in this nation.

A lot of things need to be done. We have a lot of work out ahead of us, actually had a productive year in Congress. Hopefully have an even more productive year next year as we deal with this issue of ISIS, the war in Syria, and all of the issues of our economy, getting people back to work, getting the middle class wages up. It's our task.

So, we all have a piece of this puzzle but, hey, it's New Years. It's New Year's Eve and we ought to be celebrating but at the same time, cautious and careful.

KEILAR: That's right. There is a lot to celebrate and a lot to be concerned about as well.

Congressman Garamendi, thanks so much for being here. Happy New Year to you.

GARAMENDI: And to you, happy New Year.

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