CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: en. Richard Blumenthal (D- CT) is Interviewed About the Impeachment Report by Democrats and Republicans

Interview

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Let's get some more on all of this. Joining us now is Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. He is a member of both the Judiciary and Armed Services Committee. Senator, thanks very much for coming in.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Thank you.

BLITZER: So, there is about to be this new phase in the House of Representatives, the Judiciary Committee is going to -- about to consider the Intelligence Committee's report. What will you be watching for in this new phase?

BLUMENTHAL: I'll be watching first of all this week for the standard that is set forth by constitutional scholars and then the following week the vote by the Judiciary Committee on the articles of impeachment and of course the next week, the vote on those articles by the full House.

But make no mistake, the president's own words here are in many respects the most incriminating part of this case in that July 25th conversation. The president clearly is soliciting a bribe and bribery under the Constitution is specifically enumerated offense for impeachment.

And of course he says in the conversation that he will perform an official act, namely releasing the military aid, only if something of personal benefit to him, that investigation of Joe Biden is revived.

BLITZER: Treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors. The House Republicans have just written this lengthy rebuttal to the Democrats saying there is absolutely no evidence of impeachable crimes as far as the July 25th phone call between the president and Zelensky.

They write this, "The summary of their July 25th, 2019 telephone conversation shows no quid pro quo or indication of conditionality, threats or pressure much less evidence of bribery or extortion. The summary reflects laughter and pleasantly and cordiality." What do you make of that?

BLUMENTHAL: Well, there is a lote more than laughter, pleasantry and cordialities. The president of Ukraine says we need those anti-tank missiles and the president of the United States said immediately thereafter I want you to do us a little favor though, meaning the investigation of Joe Biden, a personal benefit to him.

So, I think that characterization is completely distorted and distracting, which has been their strategy but it is also dangerous to our national security.

Because this falsity, the theory that Ukraine was responsible for meddling in elections, not Russia, actually is not only debunked by our intelligence community, by the Mueller report and by the Senate Intelligence Committee controlled by Republicans.

But also creates a false sense of complacency. It credits Vladimir Putin with his contention that the Ukrainians not the Russians attacked us.

BLITZER: A top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee has objected to what he describes is a short notice that the committee members are getting, who the witnesses are going to be, the nature of the report, the details of the House Intelligence Committee report. They say the process is totally unfair.

Is it fair to have a hearing on Wednesday, Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m., when they just now discovered who are the witnesses, the constitutional lawyers, the experts who are going to testify and they still haven't seen the basis of this report namely the House Intelligence Committee's conclusion?

BLUMENTHAL: The purpose of the hearing, this Wednesday, is to frame the standards and the legal issues. And I could tell you, as a former prosecutor, as the chief federal prosecutor, United States attorney for Connecticut and then the state attorney general of my state, the clear evidence here is enough to rest the case on impeachment.

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But even more important, the standards here have been set forth in the Constitution for centuries. They have been debated often. The constitutional scholars appearing before the Senate are well-known and the report is based on testimony that everybody heard over the past couple of weeks. So there are no surprises here.

BLITZER: The Republicans, they want the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, to testify. He's the one who led the inquiry to begin with. They say he has the command of the facts. Do you think it will be appropriate for him to appear and answer questions before the committee?

BLUMENTHAL: There is absolutely no reason for Adam Schiff to appear. He's the chairman of the committee that heard this testimony. If the president of the United States has exculpatory evidence that shows his innocence, he should come forward and present it. He has been blocking witnesses and testimony from some of the key

witnesses that have been sought by the committee and rather than hiding behind a commuter -- computer screen and tweeting, he ought to come forward and tell the American people.

BLITZER: The argument they make is that Adam Schiff led the investigation into all of this, the Ukraine investigation, the impeachment inquiry, and since there was no special counsel or independent counsel who did it -- Ken Starr, he led the investigation into then President Bill Clinton's impeachment process.

He eventually testified before the committee. Since there was no special counsel and Adam Schiff was leading the investigation, why not let him like Ken Starr actually come forward and answer questions?

BLUMENTHAL: Adam Schiff did not act as a special counsel as Ken Starr did.

BLITZER: There was no special counsel in this case.

BLUMENTHAL: And there was no special counsel. That is absolutely right. That is the key distinction. But here is the really important point. What matters here is not the debate back and forth about whether Adam Schiff should testify or whether the Republicans were somehow surprised by the witnesses, what matters here are the facts and the law.

And again, as a prosecutor, what I'm going to argue to the jury is facts and law. The testimony over these past couple of weeks corroborates what the president himself said in that July 25th conversation.

Those dedicated patriots and professionals like Taylor and Hill who came before the committee, the American people should base their judgment on what they saw.

BLITZER: Very quickly, if it does come down to a trial in the Senate, he's impeached in the House, do you see any evidence at this point that would lead you to acquit?

BLUMENTHAL: I want to see what the president has to say. If they -- is any evidence to acquit. So far he has refused, absolutely refused to come forward with his so-called exculpatory evidence. I would certainly listen carefully and closely to it. But right now the evidence shows an impeachable offense, bribery, abuse of power and obstruction of justice.

BLITZER: Senator Blumenthal, thanks so much for coming in.

BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.

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