NBC "Meet the Press" - Transcript: Interview Rep. Rashida Tlaib
Interview
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CHUCK TODD:
All right, joining me now is Democratic Congressman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan taking the other side of this conversation. Congresswoman Tlaib, welcome to Meet the Press.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
Thank you.
CHUCK TODD:
You are easily, I think, one of louder voices when it comes to impeachment. I'm curious of your reaction to Congressman Jeffries in this respect. Do you believe that leadership is being methodical or do you believe that leadership is trying to buy enough time where they say, "We're too close to the presidential election," in order to take it off the table quietly?
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
Well, I can tell you as one of the newest members of Congress, the traditional Congressional oversight process isn't working. From subpoenas and trying to figure out what's going on with children being caged at the border, still waiting for a response from this administration, from even my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, when we're asking for big pharma to come before our oversight committee to testify about high cost of insulin, and they're telling them, "You don't have to come before the committee." A lot of the corruption that you see through the Oval Office is already seeping into the Congression -- into the halls of Congress. I can tell you from day one this president has misled Congress, has undermined his own cabinet members and has lied to the American people. I have to tell you, this is a pretty remarkable time in our country. And if you saw the largest class, incoming class, before our class was the Watergate class. And at that time even though many people say --
CHUCK TODD:
Okay.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
-- that we didn't campaign on this, look at the fact that the majority, the majority of states across this country saw an huge historic turnout of people coming out to vote for the first time. And I feel like in many ways that's a referendum to stand up to a bully, to a president that --
CHUCK TODD:
Right.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
-- subverts the United States Constitution every single day.
CHUCK TODD:
I want to play for you a quote from an interview I had earlier this week from an Ohio Democratic activist who is a bit frustrated with all of the subpoenas on Capitol Hill. Take a listen and I want to get your reaction on the other side.
[BEGIN TAPE]
DAVID BETRAS:
They don't give a rat's you know what about his taxes. And they don't really care. I'm not saying that Congress should not walk gum -- chew gum and walk at the same time. But the volume on issues, kitchen table issues, needs to be louder because I want to win this election. I don't want to lose.
[END TAPE]
CHUCK TODD:
You hear -- he, he, look -- I have no doubt and Congressman Jeffries ran down, I know you guys have passed other legislation. And you do --
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
We have.
CHUCK TODD:
--other stuff, other than talking about the president's personal conduct. But his point was it's the volume of conversation. It's the loud voice that he believes, "Win the election in 2020 and stop worrying about his tax returns." What do you say to Mr. Betras about that?
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
Look, this is not about 2020 election. It's about doing what's right now for our country. This is going to be a precedent that we set when we don't hold this president accountable to the rule of law and to the United States Constitution. Just look at the fact that currently over a number of abuses of power but the public's trust is at stake. And we can't sit back idly and think that we can just pass health care reform and all of these issues, which are critically important, but at the same time, you have an administration that's not providing the information, not following through on subpoenas. It goes hand in hand. And I think we need to stop separating the fact that we're trying to change people's lives for the better but we have an administration that continues to violate the United States constitution. Did you know, Chuck -- I mean he has not complied with the United States Constitution when he took the oath of office by divesting in his businesses. So we have an upgraded version of pay-to-play. So, when I'm on the ground right now in my district fighting against the T-Mobile and Sprint merger, T-Mobile is turning around, spending $195,000 at the Trump Hotel in D.C. as again, an upgraded version of pay-to-play to get access to the most powerful corridor to power in our country, the president's office. And so for me, to fight back against big pharma, for many of my colleagues that came there to pass really important reforms that are needed, we can't do it when the president of the United States continues to lie to the American people --
CHUCK TODD:
Why --
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
-- continue to not follow through on subpoenas and give us the information--
CHUCK TODD:
Congresswoman --
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
--that we need.
CHUCK TODD:
-- why do you think you can't convince a majority of House Democrats that it's time to impeach him?
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
No, I think it is moving towards that. It's going to demand it. It already is. This is a time in our country right now that we can't look -- I mean, think about what just happened recently. The first time historically did we exercise our war powers and said, "No more armed deals. No more kind of interaction in helping the Yemeni humanitarian crisis through our relationship with Saudi Arabia." And he turned around and pretty much ignored the Congress' decision, a bipartisan decision. Understand, again, it goes hand in hand. And I think the American people understand that, that we can't do our job if the president thinks he's above the law, thinks that he cannot abide by what the United States Congress is passing through --
CHUCK TODD:
Yes.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
-- and asking and demanding of him. I've got to tell you, from the wall, to the children at the border --
CHUCK TODD:
Okay.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
-- to immigration reform, to everything. We can't be able to do our jobs if we don't hold him accountable.
CHUCK TODD:
I'm curious, a fellow Michigander, Justin Amash, became the first Republican essentially to call or at least believe that it is time to have an impeachment inquiry. I know on Twitter you invited him to meet with you and sign your resolution on that. Did you meet with him? Have you spoken with him? And if you have, what did he say?
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
No, I haven't. But I've got to tell you, I've worked with him in the Michigan legislature for a term. And he is somebody that truly believes the Constitution is brilliant, it's awesome. He's all about putting country first. I've known that about him for a very long time. He actually is one of the few that supported subpoenas towards the Trump administration about at least understanding what's going on at the border with children being separated from their family. He's one of the more courageous people that really does believe in the institution and believes in the rule of law.
CHUCK TODD:
Okay.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
And I respect that very much and I continue to uplift his courage and for him to, again, put country before politics.
CHUCK TODD:
All right, Congresswoman, I'm going to leave it there. Rashida Tlaib, Democrat from Michigan. Congresswoman, thanks for coming on and sharing your views. I appreciate it.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB:
Thank you.
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