CNN "Erin Burnett Out Front" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries"

Interview

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BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Kaitlan, from the White House. And I want to go out front now to Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York. A member of the Judiciary Committee, also the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus.

So Congressman, look you're one of the leaders here of the Democratic Party and according to our reporting, look, you all have pretty much said you're not going to expect anyone to show up voluntarily or maybe they themselves would like to come but they're going to be not allowed to do so by the White House. So what are you going to do now?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Well, I think we're going to continue to follow the facts, apply the law and be guided by the U.S. Constitution. We're not going to let Donald Trump's strategy of obfuscation, obstruction, the cover up, the stonewalling delay us from uncovering the truth and presenting that information to the American people.

The bottom line here is that we know the central facts that are an issue that Donald Trump withheld without justification $391 million in aid from Ukraine at a moment when they are very vulnerable and under attack from Russian-backed separatists in Crimea. We know that Donald Trump on a phone call on July 25th pressured a foreign government to target an American citizen for political gain. That is textbook abuse of power. Those facts are not in dispute.

BURNETT: Well, as we just showed, that's the transcript, that you can see, but look you all have said you're going to find more facts, you're going to interview people. The former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine actually was relevant to that call, Marie Yovanovitch, she's an important player.

She's scheduled to appear on Capitol Hill for an interview Friday. It would seem, I would assume, that she herself would probably be fine with doing that. But obviously she was a State Department employee during all this, so is there any chance she shows up?

JEFFRIES: I think it is likely that she will show up based on the fact that she's no longer operating within the umbrella of the Department of State. You are going to see cooperation moving forward from patriotic Americans who understand that the wrongdoing that occurred here by Donald Trump undermine our National Security, undermine the integrity of our elections, undermine the United States Constitution. That's why people are stepping forward.

BURNETT: So you think because she's no longer a current employee, she'll be able to defy their requests?

JEFFRIES: Well, that is correct. Well, their request has no basis in law.

BURNETT: OK.

JEFFRIES: And so their ability to restrict people who are no longer within the umbrella of the Trump administration is limited. In fact, it's a nonexistent, Erin.

BURNETT: OK. So there are small but influential group of Democrats who some of them privately, but some of them publicly saying the House should go ahead and hold that impeachment inquiry vote that the President in his letter said, "You have to do that or else." It doesn't say he's going to cooperate if you all do it, but obviously it was done for Clinton, it was done for Nixon. There is precedent for it, although not constitutionally required.

Here are two Democrats today.

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REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): I do think that it's time for us to put a vote on the floor resolution for the inquiry structured in such a way that it can move forward with full power of the Congress behind it.

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REP. BETO O'ROURKE (D-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'd love to remove that as a talking point or a reason for the kind of obstruction that you're seeing from the President.

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BURNETT: So you're the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. You're talking to everybody all of the time. What are you hearing? Is there going to be a vote?

JEFFRIES: Well, the support still exists for the position that Speaker Pelosi has articulated in a strong fashion. She's a constitutional officer. The Speaker of the House is one of the few positions actually mentioned in the United States Constitution.

When she declared that we are in the midst of an impeachment inquiry, that has the full force and weight of the United States Constitution and we also know that the overwhelming majority of the House Democratic caucus and one independent in the Congress support impeachment. So a majority in terms of the inquiry, so a majority of the House of Representatives supports an inquiry.

BURNETT: Right. No, I mean, constitutionally of course, I guess the question is politically, as Beto O'Rourke said. Get rid of the talking point where they say you did it for Clinton, you did it for Nixon, why not do it now, what are you afraid of. Do you end up worried that you'll end up being in that position? I know that would give them the ability to call witnesses. They could

call Hunter Biden. Obviously, there's concerns that you have, but do you think it's possible that ...

JEFFRIES: Well, it's our expectation and as the Speaker has consistently indicated, we're going to treat President Trump fairly. We just want to get to the bottom of what occurred with this whole sordid episode and present that to the American people, because we believe the facts are on the side of serious wrongdoing, having occurred.

And the question really is what is the President afraid of. He's going to continue to throw up procedural roadblocks to us uncovering evidence. If he has nothing to hide, stop hiding from the American people. Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, the secretary or the Attorney General, Rudolph Giuliani, all of the President's men continue to hide from the American people, because they can't address the substance of the allegations here which is the undermining of our National Security.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Congressman Jeffries. I appreciate your time.

JEFFRIES: Thank you.

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