CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Gregory Meeks (D), New York

Interview

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HARLOW: Add to that, this tweet from the Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Corker, quote, "I never thought I'd see the day that the White House would moonlight as a public relations firm for the crown prince of Saudi Arabia," and from Republican Senator Rand Paul, "I'm pretty sure this statement is Saudi Arabia first, not America first."

With me now, Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York. He sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committee.

[10:20:03] Good morning.

REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D), FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE: Good morning.

HARLOW: You said something to my colleague Chris Cuomo recently that struck me. And you echoing the words of doctor -- of the late Dr. King, and you said, "The silence of good people is worse than the actions of bad people."

When you look at the really silence of the president here when it comes to condemning the crown prince despite what the CIA has found, what will you and your fellow members of Congress actually now, now that you know this, you see this, what are you going to do about it?

MEEKS: Well, I would hope that we would -- and this would be in a bipartisan basis as we've seen some of the senators talk -- make a note and say what they would do. I hope that there are sanctions that would come forward from Congress. I think that we would look and should look at some sanctions and work with our international colleagues and allies to say it should be multilateral sanctions going against Saudi Arabia.

HARLOW: So hoping is one thing and acting is another. Right? That's sort of having the intestinal fortitude to do something. Let me just read you part of what Jamal Khashoggi's editor this morning, Karen Attiah, writes in her "Washington Post" column.

"It's time for Congress to act. If we do not, Khashoggi's death will be a blood stain on America's moral conscience that neither time nor Saudi hush money will ever erase."

There is power for Congress here in the congressional notification process when it comes to stopping arms sales, for example. There is this power. Is there the will?

MEEKS: I feel confident come January 3rd when Democrats take over that the House will send the Senate something in --

HARLOW: Will the senators do it? Will Jim Risch, as he's heading Foreign Relations?

MEEKS: I believe that the Democrats -- the question, I can't speak for the Republicans. And it would be time for them to finally stand up to a president who has proven to be morally bankrupt and to say that we are not going to allow the American values to be continued to be degraded by this particular president. So I would hope that --

HARLOW: Do they tell you -- I mean, you talk to them. Do Republicans in Congress tell you they're willing to do it? Publicly their statement certainly seemed like it. MEEKS: Well, and soon it will be time to put up or shut up. In the

past, you know, we're not able to get things through the House. We couldn't get bills on the floor. We will be able to get those bills on the floor come January 3rd. We'll be able to pass them in the House come January 3rd. And then it will be up to Mitch McConnell to see what he will do.

HARLOW: Let me ask you about Nancy Pelosi. You have been a supporter of hers and are going to vote for her for speaker. Her only semi- serious opponent in all of this, Marcia Fudge, has dropped out and endorsed her. There is no other challenger that has stepped up. You've got former President Obama, big donors ramping up their support for her. They've even got some pushback from progressives like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez on those who have presented an argument against her saying what's your argument other than that you want change?

Did the Democratic Party hurt itself, Congressman, with all of this hubbub which seems like for nothing? There is literally no one running against her.

MEEKS: Look, we've got to be together. We are focused together on our for the people agenda. And --

HARLOW: I get it. But was this like -- was this a waste of time and headlines and energy?

MEEKS: Families have disputes at times. And they're minding, you get over them.

HARLOW: All right.

MEEKS: You're still figure out, we're going to focus on what got us elected.

HARLOW: You sit on the Financial Services Committee. And Politico is reporting this week the incoming chairwoman of that committee, Maxine Waters, is facing some resistance within your party against her on her bid to investigate President Trump on some of these financial issues that moderates in your party are saying, you know, don't move too quickly, don't make this all of your focus. We could face political blowback from it. Are you among those cautioning her on that front?

MEEKS: Look, we had a meeting briefly and soon-to-be Chairwoman Waters --

HARLOW: Yes.

MEEKS: -- was very clear. She is not going to go into the kind of investigations and things of that nature that the Republicans have done. She's not going to fall down that line. She understands, though, that we do have oversight responsibilities that are put in there by the Constitution.

HARLOW: Right.

MEEKS: So we're going to do those duties. That's what we're going to do.

HARLOW: As you know --

MEEKS: But it's not going to be how the Republicans have acted.

HARLOW: Because your fellow Democrat, Representative Jim Himes, who was on our show this week, said American people will (INAUDIBLE) an investigation that seem overtly political. Do you agree with him? Do you caution Democrats --

MEEKS: Yes. And I think Maxine Waters agrees with that.

HARLOW: OK.

MEEKS: So I don't think that's going to be a problem at all.

HARLOW: Yes.

MEEKS: Maxine agrees with that.

HARLOW: Let me ask you finally about just diversity and leadership. The only African-American in House leadership right now is Jim Clyburn. And you have said people make an assumption that you can only have one African-American in leadership and that doesn't make sense. Is Democratic House leadership too old and too white?

MEEKS: I think that what we are now, we are primed for the present and for the future.

HARLOW: But is it -- just to that point, I mean, when you look at it, is it too old and is it too white?

MEEKS: Right now you have Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn. A woman, a white man and an African-American male. And when you look at what's coming behind it whether it is in the chair, the Democratic caucus, whether it was the assistant leader position, whether it was the vice chair, you know, you see some young energetic folks.

[10:25:15] So I like where we are as a Democratic Party. We are ready for now. We look at the issues that we were dealing with and the position that we are in now, it's because of that current leadership. If you look at where we are laying the foundation for the future or watch the elections that take place next week and the other leadership positions and you'll see it will be reflective of us in the conference and be reflective of how we can be successful in the future.

HARLOW: All right. We will watch. Who is making the turkey in your household?

MEEKS: My wife.

(LAUGHTER)

HARLOW: Lucky man. All right, Congressman, have a nice Thanksgiving. Thank you.

MEEKS: You too.

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