CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Steny Hoyer

Interview

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BLITZER: Phil Mattingly up on Capitol Hill, thanks very much.

Joining us now, the second-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: Thank you.

BLITZER: And let's get right to this Justice Department statement saying it will offer the House Judiciary chairman, Jerry Nadler, some documents related to the Mueller report, if the full House backs off the plan to vote to hold the attorney general in contempt.

Would you advise the chairman, Jerry Nadler, to accept that deal?

HOYER: Look, Wolf, I had a discussion with Mr. Nadler, the chairman, over the weekend.

And, as you know, I announced yesterday that we would be scheduling the contempt vote for this coming week. The fact of the matter is, as you have pointed out and your reporters have pointed out, that offer is a very limited offer.

[18:10:01]

Clearly, the whole House voted to get the unredacted copy of the Mueller report, which we think is absolutely essential for us and for the American people to have the opportunity to make a decision based upon the facts that are disclosed.

As long as they continue to refuse to respond properly to constitutionally protected requests by the Congress of the United States to oversee the executive department, I would advise Mr. Nadler that we're not going to pull that bill.

I'm the one that schedules the bill. It's going to remain on the floor. We will see what happens over the next few days in terms of negotiation, but, very frankly, the administration has got to get off this position of, we are not going to respond to proper requests for documents, for testimony, for information regarding the operations of the executive department.

I think it's -- I can't believe that there is another instance where there has been this broad a refusal to give information which is legitimately asked for by the representatives of the American people.

So, at this point in time, I would advise Mr. Nadler that we are not going to take any action to stop the vote this coming week.

BLITZER: Let me just be precise.

Are you still also demanding that, in addition to the full Mueller unredacted report, you also get all the underlying evidence?

HOYER: I want to talk to Nadler about that, but I think the answer to that is yes, but it's not just the report.

What you have is a blanket refusal directed by the president of the United States to not respond to questions and requests for testimony and documents from the Congress of the United States. That's unacceptable under the Constitution. It's unacceptable for representatives of the American people, who deserve that information so that they can make informed decisions, it's unacceptable that the administration continues that position.

So it's not just the Mueller report. That's a key part of it, but it is this blanket refusal to cooperate with the Congress in exercising its constitutional duties.

BLITZER: Are you also, Mr. Leader, still demanding that Don McGahn, the former White House counsel, also come up and testify and appear and bring documents along with him?

HOYER: The answer to that is yes.

And, very frankly, we're going to go to -- if required to do so and if we proceed, we're going to go to the courts to ask them to enforce those requests.

BLITZER: Because, at the same time, as you know, the White House is now directing Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director, and Annie Donaldson, who was the chief of staff to the former White House counsel Don McGahn, not, repeat, not to comply with congressional subpoenas for documents.

If Hicks and Donaldson refuse to cooperate, what's going to happen? Do you support holding them in contempt as well?

HOYER: Look, Wolf, we can ask about a lot of different people, but the fact of the matter is, we have a constitutional responsibility to oversight.

Now, we're also passing substantive legislation. We're going to pass the Promise and DREAM Act in just a few minutes. That's a very important piece of legislation. So we're doing both, but we're exercising our constitutional responsibility.

It's not a question of Hope Hicks or something else or McGahn. It is a question of this blanket refusal to respond to constitutionally authorized questions to the executive department and asking for witnesses and documents. A blanket refusal is a blanket refusal.

It's a refusal to respond, and the Constitution is put at risk under those circumstances. So it's not just a person that we talk about, Hope Hicks or McGahn or somebody else. It is the refusal of the president of the United States and the direction the president has given to his executive department to not cooperate with the Congress of the United States in exercising its constitutional duties.

That's unacceptable.

BLITZER: Because, as you know, the type of stonewalling we're seeing from the Trump administration has led many of your fellow Democrats to call for impeachment proceedings, formal impeachment proceedings, to at least begin, 59 Democrats, to be exact -- we have got their pictures up on the screen.

But the day the Mueller report was released, you said that, based on what we have seen to date -- and I'm quoting you now -- "What we have seen to date, going forward with impeachment," you said, "is not worthwhile at this point, at this point."

HOYER: At this point was the critical phrase, Wolf.

BLITZER: So what has changed since then?

HOYER: That was the day the report was released.

And, very frankly, I said, at this point in time, we have to look at it and we need to continue, as I have said subsequently -- as a matter of fact, the next day, I said we need to continue to investigate. We need to get the Mueller report, unredacted.

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And, very frankly, I think we need Mr. Mueller's testimony before the Judiciary Committee or other committees that have legitimate reasons for hearing his testimony, so that when I said that original statement, it was at this time. That was the immediate response to the report, but since that time...

BLITZER: So, let me just interrupt for a second, Mr. Leader.

Why was it, in your words, impeachment not worthwhile at this point immediately after the Mueller report was released, but it is potentially worthwhile now?

HOYER: Well, I didn't say it was -- Wolf, I know that you and other reporters keep asking and want us to say we're for impeachment.

What we are for is continuing our investigations, making sure the administration gives us the information that we are constitutionally authorized to receive from the executive department to make decisions on behalf of the American people. We want to continue those investigations.

And I have said and Speaker Pelosi has said, we're going to go where the facts take us. We think that's the appropriate process. This is a very thoughtful, measured, responsible course for us to follow.

And Mr. Nadler is doing what we ought to be doing. And Mr. Schiff is doing what we ought to be doing, other committees. And I think Mr. Neal needs to pursue getting what the law says we shall be entitled to, and that is the president's tax returns.

Why do we want those tax returns? To assure the American people and ourselves that the president's policies are acting on behalf of the American people, and not on behalf of his personal interests.

BLITZER: I just want to point out, I'm not asking you to do anything or support anything. I'm just asking some questions, trying to get precise information.

HOYER: No, got you.

BLITZER: Yes.

But, as you know, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, she's being trying to keep your fellow Democrats in line. She still says every option is on the table, so what does that mean?

HOYER: I think that's correct.

BLITZER: What does that mean? Can she be convinced that impeachment proceedings in the end are necessary, or is the strategy to push this off until the election?

HOYER: No, Wolf, there's no such strategy to put this off until the next election.

There is a strategy, if you want to call it a strategy, there is an intent to proceed in a measured way, but a forceful way to get the information we need to see where that information leads us.

There are obviously members who are increasingly frustrated by the administration's cover-up, by the administration's refusal to respond to authorized subpoenas for testimony, for documents, for information. And there is no doubt that there's a growing frustration.

However, what we need are the facts.

BLITZER: So what do you say to those 59 Democrats, 59 out of, what, the majority of 235 Democrats in the House of Representatives? What do you say to them when they continue their call for formal impeachment proceedings?

HOYER: I'm not so sure that the formal impeachment procedures would be much different than we are pursuing now in trying to get information. That's what those proceedings would be about, getting information as to see whether or not such action was justified.

But, having said that, Wolf, the reports of the members is overstated in terms of their demands on either Speaker Pelosi or myself. They are thoughtful discussions, measured discussions. They think -- some think it's time to move on a more formal way, and some say, well, I think that may be warranted, but I think the way you are proceeding is justified and may well lead to the results that I want.

BLITZER: I know you got to run. There's an important vote on the House floor on the DREAM and Promise Act.

HOYER: You bet.

BLITZER: So, I'm going to let you go, but let's continue this conversation down the road.

Steny Hoyer, thanks so much for joining us.

HOYER: Thank you, Wolf. Appreciate it.

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