Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Michael McCaul

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

BARTIROMO: Welcome back.

As Congress prepares harsh sanctions on Turkey for its attacks on the Kurds, Nancy Pelosi leads a delegation to Jordan for talks.

Joining me right now for exclusive reaction is Congressman Michael McCaul. He is the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman, it's a pleasure to have you. Thanks so much for joining me today.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL, R-TX: Good morning, Maria.

BARTIROMO: First, your reaction to what has taken place in Syria, and are you expecting to bring those sanctions on Turkey?

MCCAUL: Well, we're very concerned about Turkey's aggressive behavior, invading Syria.

I did have a meeting in the White House, the one that became very publicized, where the speaker walked out of that meeting. After she left, we had a very, I thought, civilized conversation, with Democrats as well, about moving forward.

I got assurances from the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the president, and the secretary of defense on residual force.

My biggest concern, Maria, is, when Obama pulled out 10,000 troops out of Iraq, he created the space for ISIS, and then the formation of the so- called caliphate.

We do not want to see that same phenomenon happen in Syria. So we pressed very hard on the fact that we need a residual force in Syria to, first and foremost, protect the homeland.

So, right now, we're in a five-day cease-fire, after which it will become permanent. I talked to the vice president about this cease-fire. We want to give this a chance to work. And I'm hopeful that it will.

But, if it doesn't, we are prepared as early as next week to move forward at the committee level on very tough sanctions against Syria, if they continue to misbehave in the region.

BARTIROMO: Is it true, Congressman, that some of the ISIS fighters have been able to get released, they are out of jail, because the Turks ran over basically the Kurds who were protecting those jails?

MCCAUL: It's another high priority of the administration, is to protect those prisons that hold, Maria, 10,000 of the worst of the worst jihadists left in that region.

My briefings, I think about 100 of them have escaped from these prisons. So we want to make sure, at all costs, that these prisons are protected.

I have been given the assurance they are right now. But it's a very fluid situation there.

BARTIROMO: Congressman, before you go, I want to ask you about the State Department conclusion that the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's private e-mail usage determined nearly 40 people committed violations.

The e-mail investigation found hundreds of violations, dozens of individuals at fault. Your committee has jurisdiction over the State Department.

MCCAUL: Correct.

And I -- we got a copy of this report late Friday night. We're looking through it. We will be asking a lot of questions. I will request a hearing on this.

And I think, above all, Maria, what I have the most concern about, even back in 2016, when this got exposed, were these highly secretive special access programs. These are the covert programs or the most really highly classified programs in the United States government.

The fact that she took those programs overseas on electronic devices and potentially compromised that, that will be the biggest focus I have on this issue.

BARTIROMO: It just feels like there's never any accountability.

I mean, look at that meeting that you had in the White House last week where Nancy Pelosi stormed out. There's no focus whatsoever by your colleagues on the left of the true wrongdoing. When you look at the Russia investigation, same thing.

MCCAUL: Well, I agree.

And then going back to the impeachment hearings, I call it a Star Chamber. If you look at the definition of what was a Star Chamber back in the day, it's a very powerful exclusive body that meets in secret without any openness to the public, no transparency.

This is what -- I talked to Ken Starr last night about this process, that we need to follow the historic precedent of both the Nixon and Clinton proceedings here.

BARTIROMO: Right.

MCCAUL: This is not the right way to do it.

If you are going to do this, for God's sakes, do it the right way.

BARTIROMO: Congressman, it's good to see you this morning.

Congressman Michael McCaul, thank you so much, sir.

MCCAUL: Thank you. Thanks, Maria.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source