Fox News "The Ingraham Angle" - Transcript: Rep. Collins: Impeachment resolution is just so Democrats can cover their backside

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Also breaking tonight, we now have the actual text of the impeachment resolution. They just referred to it. The full House is going to vote on it on Thursday. The eight-page document basically puts into writing what the Dems have already been doing behind closed doors, but adds this.

"It would allow the President or his counsel to participate in impeachment proceedings held by the House Judiciary Committee. The resolution explicitly stating that the Judiciary panel will decide whether articles should be reported to the full House."

Here now to respond, Congressman Doug Collins, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Congressman, are you satisfied with this arrangement?

REP. DOUG COLLINS, R-GA: No. This is - this is a joke. I mean let's just be honest with this. This is covering your backside.

This is Speaker Pelosi who saw 50 Senators say that the process in the House was bad that they didn't want to even deal with it. She went back, and she said, "Oh my goodness, let me go now, and say, look, we believe the Republicans are wrong, but we're going to do what they say."

Look, she knows exactly what she's doing. She knows she's wrong. She put it with her cohorts she left down in the dungeon, said "Go do all this stuff. Maybe nobody will notice."

Well wow, the American people noticed, and people on Capitol Hill noticed, so now they're just trying to cover their backside with proposals, which was - it's really interesting. They're going to give the President some ability to weigh in, in the Judiciary Committee, but not the Intel Committee. This is not about due process for this President.

And also, let me just say something. I've heard all this today. This is not about Russia. This is not about a Ukrainian phone call.

INGRAHAM: No.

COLLINS: This is about the fact that - that Hillary Clinton was crying in Brooklyn in 2016, November. This is all this is about. They hate the President because he's done well, and he's done what he said he was going to do. Let's get this out in the open.

INGRAHAM: Isn't all - this isn't--

COLLINS: It's all it is.

INGRAHAM: Schiff's had a conflict of interest from day one. He had initial contact with that whistleblower that was not revealed. In any other proceeding, legal proceeding, he would have had to have recused himself after failing to disclose that until pressed on that.

COLLINS: Think about what he tried to stop - what he did stop today about today - gentleman not answering the question. He was asking, "Who else did he talk to?" He stopped that question.

What would that have led to? Who did he talk to? Was it his staff? Was Schiff involved in that?

Did Schiff actually stop a question from being answered on who he actually gave that information to, which in addition to what Congressman Jordan was talking about, about leaking classified information, who would it might have led to, to have Adam Schiff run this kind of a - a Star Chamber inquiry with no oversight, with nothing going on, only leaking what they want?

This morning, when you talk about the fact that it's bombshell, that was an opening statement. It was an uncross-examined opening statement. The best we get on Earth is a resume. That's our perfect is our resume. The best you get on Capitol Hill is an opening statement.

INGRAHAM: What about--

COLLINS: This is ridiculous.

INGRAHAM: What about the fact? And a lot of people were talking about this today that we have foreign policy professionals, some who are Active Duty Military, served their country proudly, like Vindman, but nevertheless they might have different world views--

COLLINS: True.

INGRAHAM: --of the President on Ukraine or various issues.

But in The New York Times piece, yesterday, it stated that he had had conversations with Ukrainian officials who were trying to solicit his advice on how to work around Giuliani, and typically those conversations were in English.

Now, what about that? I mean - I mean there are statutes, 18 U.S.C. 794 that reference gathering or delivering defense information to foreign government could be implicated here, might not be implicated here, but that's kind of a wild thing, right?

I mean you're working with - I mean you're supposed to be working with the Commander-in-Chief. That - that's a problem.

COLLINS: Well what was problematic for me was this - in his - let's go back to his opening statement where he talks about, where he's laying out his best case.

But he gets into the fact that what his concern about the call was he had some concerns about this - the - the information in the call. But he said "But this could hurt us politically down the line."

Since when is that becoming the - the process of this?

INGRAHAM: An Active Duty Service Member is supposed to be politically concerned, yes or no?

COLLINS: I'm a member of the military right now. This is not--

INGRAHAM: I know you are. That's why I'm asking you.

COLLINS: No. This is - this is - that - when I hear - when I heard the political concern, that job is of policy. You're here to give policy help. You're to - to be the expert in the room, so to speak. But when he said "He was politically concerned," this is what's happening.

They're giving leaks. Adam Schiff is giving leaks. And what was amazing to me was he said he didn't want to erase the transcripts because he didn't want or have it open to the public, so the witnesses couldn't coordinate. We are already seeing the specific leaks by Members of his Committee.

INGRAHAM: Lang - language. The language being repeated.

COLLINS: And now - and now they're being repeated. So, let's get over this right now.

INGRAHAM: You agree with me on the Senate. They - they got to just - this thing has to be shut down.

COLLINS: I think - I think--

INGRAHAM: This is ridiculous.

COLLINS: --I think that's what they're looking at right now. And every day that Nancy Pelosi does this, Speaker Pelosi keeps this up. This - this resolution she has. These declarations, she's just being, you know, governed by--

INGRAHAM: I mean it's - I mean it's--

COLLINS: --her thoughts (ph).

INGRAHAM: --it's everything's too little too late. It doesn't matter at this point.

COLLINS: It's already out of the door. How do you - how do you--

INGRAHAM: We don't need any White House staffers take on the call. "Oh, there was a word that we wanted put in." We have a transcript.

COLLINS: Yes.

INGRAHAM: "We don't need your opinion. Thank you very much. But you're - you're apparently testifying against the Administration for whom you're supposed to be working."

COLLINS: Right.

INGRAHAM: But we don't need your opinion. We have the transcript. That's what is governing here, correct?

COLLINS: Exactly.

INGRAHAM: There's nothing in the transcript that's impeachable. Period!

COLLINS: There's not. And I mean now - so that's why you're always sharing this in - be careful. Notice what you hear Schiff talk about. He - he's moved away from quid pro quo to obstruction, and this President not being cooperative with Congress. Look what you're going to come in--

INGRAHAM: Yes.

COLLINS: --in next few weeks. That's where he's going to go.

INGRAHAM: Congressman, thank you for being here tonight.

COLLINS: Sure.

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