Fox News Channel Interview - Transcript

Interview

FOX NEWS CHANNEL INTERVIEW WITH REP. DARRELL ISSA (R-CA)

SUBJECT: HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA)

INTERVIEWER: MARTHA MACCALLUM

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MS. MACCALLUM: Well, Nancy Pelosi on the hot seat on the Hill today, moments ago, House Democrats blocking a push by Republicans to investigate Pelosi's accusations against the CIA. But one Congressman is not giving up. He's asking FBI Director Robert Mueller to step in and take the reins on this.

Congressman Darrell Issa joins us now. He is Ranking Member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Congressman Issa, good to have you with us today.

REP. ISSA: Well, thank you, Martha, and thank you for covering this important matter of whether the CIA has lied to members of Congress.

MS. MACCALLUM: It is an important issue and we've covered in great detail and I want to know what you think about what happened on the floor in terms of that vote? And whether or not you think Robert Mueller really wants to pursue this at your request?

REP. ISSA: Well, I think the director would be more than happy to pursue it assuming the Speaker of the House and the president will encourage him to do so. Certainly, those of us on the dais yesterday did encourage him to do so. We think the whole question of lying to Congress is serious enough that it should always be investigated by the FBI.

When you mentioned what happened on the floor just a few minutes ago, that was unfortunate. We offered a privileged resolution intended to allow for a fair way, in a classified setting, for this to be looked at, for the CIA and other agencies to be brought in, if you will, a truth commission and, obviously, Speaker Pelosi has rejected that on partisan -- on party line.

MS. MACCALLUM: Why do you think it got shot down, Representative? Why do you think it was shot down?

REP. ISSA: Well, I'm not sure why, because, obviously, we want to get to -- you've got multiple members of Congress; they happen to all be Democrats at this time, but they're saying they were lied to by the CIA. We want to hold the CIA accountable and in just a few moments, I will be going to the House floor with a piece of legislation that would allow any member who has been lied to in a classified setting to bring a case in the District Court, the DC District Court, against that agency and that individual. We have to have resolution to this. We can't have a cloud of suspicion over the Congress for accusing the CIA and we certainly can't have CIA individuals telling lies if, in fact, they did.

MS. MACCALLUM: In the days following all of this as it bubbled up, there was sort of a bit of quiet on the Democratic side. Now, you have Speaker -- we have Harry Reid, I should say, Senator Reid. President Obama also showing support in a more subtle way for Speaker of the House Pelosi, and then, today, when the president was speaking he said, you know, in recent days, we've seen a politicalization of this issue and suggesting that he wants that to stop.

Do you think there's been pressure from the White House on Democrats to make sure that this goes away for now?

REP. ISSA: Well, I certainly think that Democrats would like this to go away without resolution, and that's a big mistake. National security is at stake. If the CIA can lie to Congress, then, obviously, we can't trust them with the safety of America. On the other hand, if they've told the truth, then we have to get to the bottom of false accusations because the CIA, Leon Panetta made it very clear, it deserves the confidence for those people who put their lives in harm's way so often in the Central Intelligence Agency.

MS. MACCALLUM: All right. We'll see it if goes anywhere. Representative Issa, thank you very much. Good to have you with us today.

REP. ISSA: You're most welcome, Martha.

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