CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Adriano Espaillat

Interview

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BALDWIN: Evan, thank you. Let's get a member of Congress' reaction. Congressman Adriano Espaillat is with me, and welcome, sir. Are you back home in your home district? I know Congress is on recess. Just making sure you're not on the Capitol Hill grounds.

REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-NY): Yes, Brooke, I'm in New York City, yes.

BALDWIN: OK, so you're here in New York City, and how did you first hear about this and what was your just gut reaction?

ESPAILLAT: Well, I heard from my staff because I regularly get these notices, texts and emails from the Capitol Police about street closures and other measures of their taking. So they're routine. I get maybe a dozen of them every day. And so I couldn't distinguish that this was a very serious one.

So, perhaps, there should first be a way to communicate to not just members of Congress, but to everybody that works in the Capitol complex, what level of security matters are being addressed.

I know that some of my staffers did not get a notice in their phone. And they found out, actually, through the media that contacted them. So I think that is important that Capitol Police has the phone number of everyone that works there and that they have access to a clear notice of any attempt to hurt any one of us, including, of course, the Capitol Police officers themselves.

BALDWIN: When ultimately the penny dropped and you realized that this had happened and, again, seeing the headlines, you know, Capitol on lockdown, did that immediately bring you back to January 6th? What were your thoughts when you realized what was happening?

ESPAILLAT: No question. You know, it's been just about a little less than two months since that happened and I sit in the committee, the leg. branch committee that is looking at how to improve security there so that it doesn't happen again.

And I've been very concerned about a potential next attack not being exactly the same way the first one was on January 6th. And so, I've been asking for increase in sweeps for explosives, potential drone attacks. So any other type of attacks like what happened today.

I mean we don't know the details of this incident that led to the unfortunate and tragic death of a police officer, but what it shows is there are people out there that want to hurt us. So we got to do more, and we've got to do better.

BALDWIN: What more do you need to do? What better do police, do law enforcement need to do? Because you know in one case it was a, you know, crowd of people in an insurrection. And today one individual, one car and, again, another Capitol Hill Police officer lost his or her life. What do you do? How do you secure the Capitol grounds?

ESPAILLAT: You increase the number of sweeps as I said for explosives. Last time around there were two pipe bombs that were placed relatively -- within a couple of blocks of the Capitol compound, of our offices, of the Rayburn Building and the Longworth Building. I think you increase the funding for Capitol Police significantly.

But I am really concerned that that car, that vehicle got so close. I mean, basically a barricade away from entering the area right in front of the Senate chambers, right, where the building is. So, we've got to really take a deep dive and see how this doesn't get that close.

[15:50:00] Perhaps that means opening up the perimeter of security further out. You know, we saw how the last time around on the 6th members of Congress were accosted in the airports. Maybe we should be locking at how to patrol the Union Station and the airports and expand the perimeter of security beyond what it is right now,

And, of course, that entails a greater resources for the Capitol Police.

BALDWIN: But Congressman --

ESPAILLAT: But just two months --

BALDWIN: I just want to jump in because the but is, you know, you have colleagues who don't want to feel like they are going to work in a war zone, and this is the people's house and they do want to feel like their constituents can come visit them. How -- what would you say to them?

ESPAILLAT: Well, security should be always first. Now, I got in a cab the other day, Brooke, and the cab driver told me they won because we had that fencing around, and they changed the way we conduct our everyday lives.

I remember back on 9/11 how there was a big effort to sort of like go back to the way we lived our lives before so that the enemy doesn't win, but security should be first and foremost. It should be paramount and a priority, you know. We lost a police officer today, someone -- we don't know the details of it, but obviously they went there to attack. They came out with a knife, and so we've got -- they can't get that close.

You know, I don't have all the answers because I'm not a security expert, but I know that we've got to give more resources to the Capitol Police, so they address this in a way that everyone, including, by the way, our staff -- my staff was in the building in one of the office buildings, including to make sure that they are secure.

BALDWIN: Do you feel like -- so we're looking at this blue car. This is what the suspect was driving when he rammed into the officers and ultimately rammed into this barricade.

You know, Congressman, this barricade didn't exist pre-9/11. And you brought up 9/11 as really this delineation line in our country in terms of all of our lives changed, right, when it came to how we get on planes, how close we can get to the U.S. Capitol?

Do you feel like January 6th and now April 2nd is sort of like the next delineation line in America?

ESPAILLAT: I wouldn't mind changing some things that will not prevent from us exercising our democratic rights and ability to access government but that will secure the people that work there. And that may mean some changes that we will have to get used to it. Yes. I remember back in 9/11 how uncomfortable it was to -- to go through an airport. But guess what, you know, we're now used to it and it's part of everyday life, and it makes people secure. I feel better when someone is going through a metal detector and going -- and getting on a plane with me, although it may be uncomfortable. It could save somebody's life, and I think we've got to take the tough measures to ensure that the police officers there are safe and that the people that work with us are also safe and, yes, there should be access to government, but safety should be first.

BALDWIN: Really, just my last question, Congressman Espaillat, is about this U.S. Capitol Police community. You know, losing one of their own.

ESPAILLAT: Sure.

BALDWIN: Brian Sicknick in the wake of the insurrection. Several, you know, just with the heaviness of so many officers being attacked that day. Several have committed suicide since and now we have another officer losing his or her life. Just do you have thoughts, a message to this community.

ESPAILLAT: I -- I don't have words to express how thankful I am of those police officers that are there and put their lives on the line every single day so that we can be safe. I know that on January 6th, I spoke to some of them. I know many of them, they're friends of ours. They speak to us, they are nice people, and they take care of us. And I have no words to express how grateful I am and I'm sure all the members of Congress are and our staff for their security. Our heart goes to them and we must do better for them and their safety.

BALDWIN: Congressman, I appreciate you so much. Thank you for jumping on TV with me and just talking us through what we have all been covering live these last couple of hours. Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.

ESPAILLAT: Thank you so much.

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