CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Zoe Lofgren

Interview

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SCIUTTO: Very strong words from the democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee speaking of Bill Barr's no-show at a hearing today.

Joining me is Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California. She serves on the committee as well. Congresswoman, first of all, thanks very much for taking the time this morning.

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): Sure.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you. You heard those words here, a danger to democracy. You heard the Chairman, Jerry Nadler, talk about the need to respond to the possibility of the President acting like a dictator here. Do you share those concerns today or is that hyperbole?

LOFGREN: Well, when Attorney General Barr refused to show up, it was improper, and I think it was arrogant. I think of graver concern, honestly, is the refusal to provide to the Judiciary Committee the full Mueller report, which has been subpoenaed along with the evidence underlying that report. We have a right to see that material. The Attorney General has -- we've subpoenaed it. The Attorney General has said simply, no.

The other thing of grave concern is the President's comments that he's going to have the members of the administration refuse to comply with any subpoenas issued by the House of Representatives. That's not the way our system of government works.

SCIUTTO: Is that a danger to U.S. democracy, in your view?

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LOFGREN: Actually, I think it is a very serious problem because the executive branch for the last more than 200 years going back to the days of George Washington has been subject to oversight by the Congress. That's fundamental to our system of checks and balances. And so for the President to say he's going to break that and he's not going to allow subpoenas to be responded to is extraordinary and it's improper, and it does threaten our system of checks and balances.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, because the question now really is how far are you willing to go? When we heard the Chairman, Jerry Nadler, talk about using all of the committee's powers here to compel Bill Barr to testify, among those powers is sending the sergeant-in-arms to arrest him and bring him before your committee. Would you support going to those lengths to get the Attorney General to testify?

LOFGREN: I would be very surprised if that occurs. Obviously, there is a process that needs to be engaged in. We have not subpoenaed the Attorney General to appear. We merely asked him to come. Obviously, we want to pursue that, and we issue a subpoena. If he still refuses to comply, we would engage in a mediation to see if we could come to an agreement. And if he still refuses to respond, then you'd have to go see what further remedies are available. But, as I say, the more serious problem today is the refusal to provide the documents that already have been subpoenaed.

And let me just say something about the Attorney General. I didn't get to see all of the testimony in the Senate because I was busy in hearings and work here in the House. But I did have a chance to look at some of it. And, really, I think in many instances, he was not very candid, maybe not even honest, in his testimony. So I'm not so sure I'm very interested in what he has to say since he doesn't necessarily tell the truth.

SCIUTTO: Are you saying that the Attorney General lied before the committee?

LOFGREN: Well, I'll tell you what. He certainly needs to explain why he lied to Charlie Crist when he came before the House and said that he had no idea what Mr. Mueller thought when he already had Mr. Mueller's letter. That -- I can't understand how that is anything other than false. You know, I would like to hear his explanation.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, because Ted Lieu as well said that the only recourse may be impeachment proceedings. Our colleague, Manu Raju, pressed him on that because, as you know --

LOFGREN: Against Barr?

SCIUTTO: -- democratic leadership, that's a move that they had not been willing to make, but he said members of the caucus may support that move. Would you support impeachment proceedings against this President?

LOFGREN: Or against Mr. Barr? Was that what Mr. Lieu was saying?

SCIUTTO: Actually, he was talking about against the President as a process, talking about, I think, what you've been referencing there more broadly that this administration refusal to provide documents, witnesses, et cetera. First, let's start with the President. I would ask you about Barr as well. But would you support the beginning of impeachment proceedings against the President?

LOFGREN: I certainly don't think we're there yet. We have some further discussions that need to occur between the House and the executive branch. But I'm sure you know that Article III of the Nixon impeachment was Nixon's refusal to provide information that the Congress legitimately had a right to see. So I don't want to see our president marching down that road.

SCIUTTO: And that's exactly the point that Congressman Lieu made. He was talking about Article III and he cited the Nixon impeachment articles.

The final question then, and you bring it up, do you support the impeachment, the removal or the resignation of Bill Barr as Attorney General?

LOFGREN: Well, based on his performance to date, I don't think he is doing an adequate job. I don't think he has been honest with the Congress. And I think we could do a lot better than him. I'd like to see him go. But on the other hand, we've had a series of inadequate attorney generals, including Mr. Whitaker, whose improper temporary appointment was a disappointment. So I'm not sure President Trump is really interested in somebody who is interested in telling the truth and defending the rule of law.

SCIUTTO: Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, thanks very much, always good to have you on.

LOFGREN: Thank you.

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