CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview With Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)

Interview

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BLITZER: Jeffrey Toobin, thanks very much.

Sara Murray, thanks to you as well.

Joining us now, Congressman Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who serves on the Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees.

Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

Let's talk about Roger Stone right now. He appears to feel vindicated by the fact that he wasn't charged specifically with conspiracy or collusion, whatever you want to call it. Do you think he could face that charge, though, down the road?

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D), TEXAS: I think that, ultimately, he could.

And I also think that, if you look at that indictment, it's quite possible that the special counsel is setting up that charge later for other people, and is hoping for Roger Stone's cooperation in continuing to figure out who may have colluded.

BLITZER: The acting attorney general, Matt Whitaker, says he's been fully briefed on the Mueller investigation and, in his words, it's close to being completed.

How much weight do you give his comments?

CASTRO: It's hard to say.

If that's just his best guess, if it's an estimation, then I think that's fine as a comment. But he needs to be careful not to interfere or try to put his hand on the -- his finger on the scale of that investigation.

BLITZER: Because the point is, before he said it would be over soon, the investigation, he said, "I have been fully briefed on the investigation."

So, if he's been fully briefed, I assume he knows something.

CASTRO: That's right, no.

And it may be that that's his understanding. But, again, what I would be uncomfortable with and I think the nation is uncomfortable with is Mr. Whitaker taking an active role in trying to pressure the special counsel to wrap it up, in the way that Donald Trump and others in Congress have tried to berate the special counsel to finish up for political purposes.

BLITZER: Would it be a problem if Whitaker briefed the president or others at the White House about what the Mueller investigators told him?

CASTRO: It would for me.

I don't think that there should be any communication to the president from Mr. Whitaker about it. I think that at this point they should keep that separate.

BLITZER: Whitaker also said, in his words, decisions that were made are going to be reviewed.

Do you understand exactly what he meant by that?

CASTRO: I don't.

And I hope that -- well, first of all, that the special counsel's report will be made fully public, that it will be available to the Congress, but also it's owed to the American people, and then, after that, that there aren't decisions that may be overridden by the attorney -- the acting attorney general or anybody else in the administration for political purposes, or simply to protect the president from something.

BLITZER: What about for intelligence-related purposes, to redact classified information? Would you be OK with that?

CASTRO: I mean, it depends. Hopefully, they would brief the Intelligence Committee -- committees in the House and the Senate about those actions before they take them, but there may be important information that's especially sensitive that needs to be protected.

I think that could be reasonable. But, again, it depends why they're doing it and what exactly they're taking out or they're redacting.

BLITZER: Your committee, the House Intelligence Committee, is working to deconflict, so-called, with the special counsel on Michael Cohen's testimony.

When Cohen testifies in this closed-door hearing before your committee, do you anticipate there will be any topics off-limits?

CASTRO: I hope not. I hope that we will have a chance to ask him everything that we need to understand.

There obviously will be questions about money laundering, obstruction of justice and other issues that will -- that we will try to broach. We also want to understand whether he was directed to lie to Congress the last time he came in front of our committee or other congressional committees, whether the president specifically directed him to lie to Congress.

So, right now, I don't see anything that is closed off in terms of questioning. And, remember, this is behind closed doors. It's a transcript right now that doesn't look like it's going to be released to the public, although I think all of this, as much as possible, should be done out in the open.

But, right now, I think everything's on the table.

BLITZER: Yes, I hope you do eventually release that transcript, or as much of it as possible.

CASTRO: Absolutely.

BLITZER: You also serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

When you listened today to the country's top intelligence leaders discuss worldwide threats facing the United States -- they were in a congressional hearing -- are you concerned at all about whether the president respects their assessments, because, as you heard, there are some significant disagreements between what the intelligence chiefs are saying and what the president has said?

CASTRO: Yes.

I mean, when you listen to the intelligence agencies, the heads of the intelligence agencies, give their assessments, it's clear at a minimum that the president is not listening to them, is not taking their advice. They may as well be serving in a different administration, because what the president is doing and what he's saying are hardly related to the intelligence assessment that these folks are offering.

[18:15:05]

BLITZER: Let's get to the effort now to avert another government shutdown.

We have heard some Democrats say they're now open to at least some funding for some physical barriers along the border with Mexico, as long as it's not a big wall, as the president has proposed over these many years.

What do you think a deal will look like?

CASTRO: I saw a little bit of that reporting today. And I trust the negotiators that will be in the room trying to come up with a compromise.

I'm not keen on trading the lives and futures of TPS recipients or dreamers for a long wall across the United States of America. And right now, also, if you look at what's being negotiated, it's an appropriations bill, a spending bill on border security.

So, as far as we can tell, the other stuff has not been brought into the conversation. And, again, we're -- the Congressional Hispanic Caucus especially is going to be keeping a very close look -- eye on this.

BLITZER: Let me get your thoughts on one sensitive issue that came up at the CNN town hall last night with Senator Kamala Harris.

She outlined her vision of a Medicare for all plan, but also said that that Medicare for all plan would eliminate private insurance plans altogether here in the United States. Do you support that plan?

CASTRO: The thing is, I would like to see these plans proposed in Congress, have hearings on them through the committees, before we take a position any particular plan, whether it's from a sitting member of Congress or somebody that's running for president.

BLITZER: All right, that's fair enough.

Congressman Joaquin Castro, thanks so much for joining us.

CASTRO: Thank you.

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