CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Ted Lieu

Interview

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SCIUTTO: Manu Raju on the Hill standing outside that committee hearing there with one of the members from the hearing who had some of the most explosive comments, the representative, Ted Lieu. Manu.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, thanks, Jim. Yes, Ted Lieu, Congressman who is on the House Judiciary Committee, talk to me about what the Justice Department is saying just now, that are saying, look, why can't you have -- you guys are attorneys, most of you are attorneys, you can question a witness. Why do you need to have staff attorneys insist on having staff attorneys question when it's something you can easily do yourselves?

REP. TED LIEU (D-CA): We definitely could do those ourselves and we will when Barr comes in after we subpoena him, but we also want staff counsel, because these are complicated issues. Obstruction of justice is a complicated issue. Issues related to conspiracy are complicated issues. And it's nothing extraordinary that we're asking. When I was on the House Judiciary Committee last year under Republican control, there were numerous witnesses from the Department of Justice that were questioned by staff counsel.

RAJU: I mean, are you worried though now you're going to move down this process of contempt? It's going to take time. You may not actually get these answers that you were hoping to get at today's hearing.

LIEU: It will take time, but I don't think it's going to take that much time. We can control our contempt proceedings within Congress. And once contempt passes off the House floor, not only can we litigate, but we also get inherent contempt powers that the courts have upheld, including the ability to impose fines on the person without having to go to the courts.

RAJU: Do you want fines levied against anyone who doesn't comply with the subpoenas?

LIEU: Absolutely not, but we will go there if they continue to ignore congressional subpoenas.

RAJU: Is this something that's been seriously considered fines and if people don't comply for subpoenas?

LIEU: Ultimately, we're going to have to enforce what the framers wanted, which is coequal branches of government, checks and balances on the executive branch. And if they continue to ignore Congress, if they continue to hide from the American people the truth, then we are going to use all the tools at our disposal.

RAJU: One of the tools is, of course, impeachment. The democratic leadership has been hesitant in going this route. Do you think they should have changed their approach and start to more seriously consider the prospects of impeachment?

LIEU: If the Trump administration wants impeachment, they're doing a good job of pushing the democrats there because we want to first gather facts to decide if we should impeach. If we can't gather facts, then we're going to launch an Article III impeachment under what Nixon happened to him. Article III of his impeachment proceedings was obstructed Congress. So if we can't gather facts, that may be the only tool we have left and we're going to use it if we have no other tools left available.

RAJU: You seem pretty confident that you're going to go that route. Have you got any assurances from Jerry Nadler or Nancy Pelosi that you guys are going to go that route if you don't get compliance?

LIEU: So that's my personal opinion. But I can tell you, it's unifying the caucus. So whether you're a liberal, moderate, conservative member of the democratic caucus, you understand that you cannot have Donald Trump and the executive branch blowing off Congress, ignoring Congress. And so if they push us to go there, we are going to go there.

[10:10:03]

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