CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Rep., John Garamendi

Interview

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BLITZER: All right, Manu, thanks for very much, Manu Raju up on Capitol Hill.

Joining us now, Democratic Congressman John Garamendi of California. He is a member of both the House Armed Services -- he's a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I should point out.

Congressman, let me start out with this new reporting you just heard from Manu.

What's your reaction about that?

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, it seems to me that the president really doesn't understand the Constitution, doesn't understand the responsibilities that Congress has.

He might want to take a look at Article 1 of the Constitution, which is the legislative powers of Congress. And among those powers is the right and the appropriate necessity of Congress to hold the administration accountable. Hence, we need to go forward.

With regard to executive privilege, it seems to me that that was waived, seriously waived, in the Mueller report, in which there are specific examples of discussions that have taken place with McCabe, as well as with Hope Hicks.

BLITZER: Let's move on to this "New York Times" report, Congressman, that military and intelligence officials are now reluctant to fully brief President Trump on their actions against Russia, for fear he might put a stop to them or discuss it with the wrong people.

How dangerous is this current situation?

GARAMENDI: Well, it's extremely dangerous.

We already have had a good example, actually a couple of examples, where the president has publicly stated in the president's -- in the presence of Putin that he doesn't believe his own intelligence community.

And, therefore, that was the Helsinki situation. We also know, as you have already reported today, the incident in the Oval Office with Kislyak. So there's plenty of evidence that the intelligence community knows that the president doesn't trust them, doesn't believe them, and when he does get information, he's more than willing to leak that information.

That's all on the record. So, yes, I would suppose the intelligence community is reluctant to certainly give details, although perhaps generalities were given. [18:10:00]

BLITZER: Well, what precedent does it set, Congressman, if the commander in chief is actually kept in the dark on these very key national security issues?

GARAMENDI: Well, what it means is, we need a new commander in chief. We need one that's trustworthy. We need a commander in chief that's not going to sell the intelligence community down the river, that's not going to give away the critical information that's absolutely essential for America to make a decision, both the Congress, as well as for the president.

And, furthermore, if the president wants to talk about his powers under Article 2, he ought to realize that he cannot go to war with Iran without a declaration of war from Congress.

That is clearly both within Article 1, as well as within Article 2.

BLITZER: You're on the Armed Services Committee.

Is this new U.S. cyber-warfare targeting of Russia's power grid an effective strategy to send a message and safeguard the 2020 elections here in the United States?

GARAMENDI: Well, we certainly need to send a message.

Unfortunately, the president has not sent the message. And, therefore, we are relying upon secondary ways of doing that. Whether we targeted the power grid or not remains to be seen. The report seems to indicate that we did.

I undoubtedly and my colleagues will have a private, confidential briefing of that. But we absolutely have to send a message to Putin: You mess with us, we will mess with you.

BLITZER: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the president's comments on Russia and his willingness to accept so-called foreign dirt are raising pressure to go ahead and impeach.

Do you agree with her?

GARAMENDI: Well, certainly, the impeachment question continues to bubble to the top. And the fire beneath it is getting hotter and hotter, no doubt about it.

We may have to institute an impeachment inquiry, so that we can get the information. The president and his people are stonewalling Congress. And that has to end. And if the only way we can do it is with an impeachment inquiry, then that's what we will have to do.

BLITZER: On Iran, Congressman, we're just getting worried that the Trump administration is now preparing to announce the decision to send additional forces, military resources, to the Middle East to deal with this latest crisis with Iran. You're on the Armed Services Committee. Do you think this step is

appropriate, considering the recent tanker attacks in the Gulf over there?

GARAMENDI: Well, we ought to consider what we have there already.

We already have a major air -- naval engagement with the aircraft carrier and all the support. We have numerous fighter bombers and fighter jets and B-52s and additional troops, more than enough to deal with an incident that we have presently seen.

What concerns me is the words from Pompeo and others that the president wants to exert maximum pressure. If that maximum pressure leads to an incident, such as the Tonkin Gulf incident, I would be very, very concerned.

Now, we had a major debate last week in the Armed Services Committee as we prepared to send to the floor the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act. That debate included Democrats and Republicans being very, very clear that for the president to take offensive action against Iran would require a declaration of war or, as we now call it, an authorization to use military force.

I believe that we will see this week and next week on the floor of the House a very important and I think a successful debate to set up a very clear line of authority that the president cannot go to war with Iran without a declaration of war by the Congress of the United States.

Now, that doesn't preclude defensive action if we're attacked. Yes. If some ship is attacked, is that an attack on America? I don't think so.

BLITZER: Unless it's a U.S. ship. Then it would be an attack on America, obviously.

GARAMENDI: That is -- that's correct.

BLITZER: All right, Congressman Garamendi, thank you so much.

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