CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Maxine Waters

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

COOPER: Well, joining me is Congresswoman Waters, chair of the House Financial Services Committee. Madam Chairwoman, what was going on there? For people who weren't at

the hearing, can you just explain what led up to that exchange? Had it been contentious up to that point?

WATERS: Yes, let me explain to you that prior to the secretary coming over to our committee, we negotiated that he would come. He had not at any time told us that he had to leave at 5:15. And so, we learned just the day before that he was deciding that he couldn't stay any longer. That was not --

COOPER: He told you the day before?

WATERS: Yes. The day before that he was not going to stay. We indicated early on that we wanted him to stay. We have a huge committee. We have a large committee. And if he does not stay, too many members of our committee do not get to participate.

And so, we let him know that, and we said that if he left, he was going to have to come back at least two times in May, which he did not agree to at the time. And so, we pressed upon him the importance of staying with the committee, and when he decided that he could not stay, I offered to him, then fine, if you cannot stay, you may leave at any time.

COOPER: The -- it seemed like there was a battle going on of you didn't want to say he should leave or could leave, and he didn't want to just get up and leave, even though you said he could get up and leave.

WATERS: That's true. He wanted me to order him or to shut down the committee, to close down the committee, to use the gavel to say that the committee was adjourned for his purposes. When he said he had somebody important, I don't think there's anything or anybody more important than the Congress of the United States of America, trying to find out exactly what the secretary is doing.

He has been contradictory in how he talked about whether or not he was going to follow the law and release those tax returns as the law mandates that he do, and so we need to do our oversight. We need to be able to represent the people of this country in understanding how this government works and what we need to do to insure that the government are respected, that the people are respected and that we are doing the kind of work that will insure that their government is acting according to the law.

COOPER: So, let's talk about that. The secretary says he personally hasn't consulted with the White House, but some members of his department have. Would that be OK given they're both part of the executive branch?

WATERS: No, it's not OK. As a matter of fact, let me just say this. We cannot believe anything that's been said by this president or by Mr. Mnuchin. Let me just refer you back to the president of the United States, who has said over 16 times that he would release his tax returns. He confuses it by saying it's under audit.

It does not make any difference if it is under audit.

COOPER: Sure.

WATERS: He could release those tax returns. And don't forget that his chief of staff, Mr. Mulvaney, said to the Democrats, you will never get these tax returns.

COOPER: Right, he said that over the weekend.

WATERS: He said that over the weekend.

Between the president, Mr. Mulvaney, and Mr. Mnuchin, you can't believe anything that they're saying. Basically, what they're all about is never releasing those tax returns. The president has lied again. Mr. Mulvaney has backed him up, and he's made it clear to us we will never get them, and Mr. Mnuchin is trying to have it both ways by saying that he is going to follow the law and yet he's going to protect the president.

And so, we have a job to do. We have the oversight responsibility for this nation, and we're going to do it.

COOPER: The president has reportedly vowed to take this to the Supreme Court. Is the president's tax returns, is that worth this kind of a fight?

WATERS: I beg your pardon? Would you repeat that question?

COOPER: Is it worth this kind of a fight? The president says he'll take it all the way to the Supreme Court. Is it worth Democrats fighting on this?

WATERS: Well, that's what the president has basically said he would do. He would go all the way to the Supreme Court, and he believes that he'll have support in the Supreme Court. He believes that Kavanaugh will stand up for him, and so he's willing to go that far.

[20:30:00]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: But that's a fight you think you think is --

WATERS: -- rather than releasing.

COOPER: You think that's a fight that should -- that Democrats should fight?

WATERS: I think that's a fight that the public wants us to fight. They want to see those tax returns. He said he would give those tax returns. Every other president has released those tax returns and that's a fight that we should have.

COOPER: Congresswoman Waters, appreciate it. Thank you very much.

WATERS: You're welcome. Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source