CNN "Erin Burnett Out Front" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Madeleine Dean"

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

[19:50:36]

BURNETT: Breaking news, a Missouri state trooper and sheriff's deputy hospitalized after being shot. The governor is calling it an ambush. Officials say the officer were talking to a man in a home. Suddenly, he opened fire. The suspect is now in custody.

This comes on the heels of the attack and stand off in Philadelphia and as the judiciary committee is returning to come back early to vote on measures to produce gun violence, one of the members of the Judiciary Committee, Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, is with me.

It's good to have you back, ma'am. I appreciate your time.

REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): Thank you for having me.

BURNETT: You know, people called for Congress to go back early and you guys are going back a few days. The measures you're looking at include a ban on high capacity ammunition magazines, red flag legislation. Have you heard from any Republicans on your committee, Congresswoman Dean, that say they're going to vote yes?

DEAN: I have not been in contact with Republicans on the committee at this point, and I'm very happy to hear the president say over and over again background checks. What he could do is simply call upon Mitch McConnell to come on back now and pass HR-8 and HR-1112 which we the House passed in February of this year. Universal background checks and closing of the Charleston loophole, but I'm very pleased.

I was eager among the members of our judiciary committee, the Democratic members to come back early to continue to do more work to pass more bills. So, we're going to be in September 4th marking up three bills.

BURNETT: So let me ask you because you mentioned the background checks and, you know what? He has repeatedly talked about background checks, especially after the horrible massacres in El Paso and Dayton. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need intelligence background checks. We have tremendous support for really common sense, sensible, important background checks. I think we can do meaningful -- very meaningful background checks. Background checks. Background checks. Background checks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Those were just six, Congresswoman Dean, of the 18 times Trump used the term as he was questioned by reporters but that slowed down yesterday. He mentioned it only once before his campaign rally. Here is how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I support strong meaningful background checks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Do you think that he is as committed as he sounded when he was saying it all the time. He's saying the right words, but he's not saying it consistently the way he's talking about other things like mental health.

DEAN: It's very hard to tell the genuine nature of the president's belief on this issue. I believe he should have called upon Mitch McConnell immediately to have taken up the bills we sent.

This is a question of common humanity. Think of what happened here in Philadelphia just two days ago. A man with an assault-style weapon shot more than 100 rounds into a community wounding six police officers holding up hostage civilians upstairs in that house two other police officers also trapped in that house for hours. It is a miracle that no one died and I credit the Philadelphia police and all the first responders for extraordinary heroic work keeping everybody safe.

How can this president not recognize what 90 percent of Americans recognize? Background checks work every gun transfer should be subject to a background check.

BURNETT: And before we go, quickly, Corey Lewandowski going to go before your committee and says he's happy to do it and as part of the impeachment proceedings as Jerry Nadler described them to me, are you glad about that, surprised?

DEAN: Pleased that he'll becoming forward. He needs to come forward and tell an important story. If you remember in July of 2017, when President Trump recognized, realized and it was reported he was now under investigation for possible obstruction of justice by the special counsel, that was July 14th, he called upon Corey Lewandowski twice that week to please come in. He was not a staffer. Come on in and be sure to tell Sessions to not look into further obstruction of justice, to limit the special counsel's report.

[19:55:03] We need to hear about those obstructive behaviors by the president of the United States.

BURNETT: All right. Congresswoman Dean, thanks very much. I appreciate your time.

DEAN: Thanks for having me.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source