>> MR. CHAIRMAN, THERE ARE 24 AYES AND 16 NO.
>> THE AYES HAVE IT AND THE
COMMITTEE REPORTED IS REPORTED
FAVORABLY TO THE HOUSE.
I RECOGNIZE THE RANKING MEMBER,
THE GENTLEMAN FROM GEORGIA.
>> PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 2 I GIVE
NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE
DECENTING VIEWS FOR THE
INCLUSION INTO THE REPORT.
>> IT’S DULY NOTED.
MEMBERS HAVE TWO DAYS TO SUBMIT
VIEWS.
VIEWS. THE REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED AS
A SINGLE AMENDMENT INCORPORATING
ALL OBJECTIONS.
ALL OBJECTIONS. THE STAFF IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE
TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING
CHANGES.
CHANGES. THIS INCLUDES ALL OF OUR
BUSINESS TODAY.
BUSINESS TODAY. THANKS TO ALL FOR ATTENDING.
WE’RE ADJOURNED.
WE’RE ADJOURNED. >> THERE YOU HAVE IT, THE HOUSE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE VOTING JUST
NOW TO HOLD THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS.
CAROL LEE, MORE HISTORY MADE ON
DONALD TRUMP’S WATCH.
>> I THINK THE QUESTION NOW IS
HOW FAR DOES ALL OF THIS GO?
WHAT DO THEY DO NOW?
WHAT ELSE TO WHAT WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, HOW MUCH
DO THE DEMOCRATS DECIDE THAT THE
WAY TO FIGHT THIS IS TO TRY TO
GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN’T
REALLY -- THEY SEEM TO HAVE BEEN
CAUGHT A LITTLE OFFGUARD BY THE
WAY THE WHITE HOUSE HAS DECIDED
TO PLAY THIS.
AND SO IT’S NOT CLEAR THEY WOULD
HAVE A STRATEGY THAT’S GOING TO
BE EFFECTIVE WHEN, AS YOU WERE
SAYING, WE WERE TRYING TO GO UP
AGAINST SOMEBODY NOT PLAYING BY
THE RULES BECAUSE CONGRESS, AS
AN INSTITUTION, IS ITS RULES AND
PROCEDURES AND THOSE ARE THEIR
WEAPONS.
WEAPONS. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A
PRESIDENT THAT’S SHOWN THAT HE
CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN TEARING
THOSE DOWN.
THOSE DOWN. >> LET’S REMIND OUR VIEWERS WHAT
THIS WAS ABOUT.
THIS IS ABOUT CONGRESSMAN
NADLER.
NADLER. YOU TALKED ABOUT THE COURT
FIGHT, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMIND
OUR VIEWERS BEFORE OUR VIEWERS
REMIND ME, CONGRESSMAN NADLER
HAS TAKEN STEPS -- ONE OF THE
LEGAL STANDARDS, THIS IS ALL
ABOUT CHAIRMAN NADLER’S REQUEST
FOR AN UNREDACTED COPY OF THE
MUELLER REPORT, THIS IS ALL
ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, THIS IS ALL
ABOUT THAT COVER STORY THAT WAS
TOLD WHICH MADE THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT’S HILL HIGHER, THE
ONE THEY HAD TO CLIMB IN TERMS
OF RECAPTURING SOME OF THEIR
CREDIBILITY BY HIDING THAT,
DISTORTING THAT, IN ROBERT
MUELLER’S VIEW, FROM THE PUBLIC.
I THINK THE IMPERATIVE FOR
DEMOCRATS GREW.
DEMOCRATS GREW. TODAY THE HOUSE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE VOTING TO HOLD THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL IN CONTEMPT OF
CONGRESS FOR REFUSING TO TURN
OVER AN UNREDACTED COPY OF THE
MUELLER REPORT.
MUELLER REPORT. >> FOR REFUSING TO TURN OVER THE
DOCUMENT AND ALSO FOR NOT
SHOWING UP.
SHOWING UP. HE WAS ASKED TO COME TESTIFY, HE
SAID HE WOULD COME TESTIFY.
HE TESTIFIED BEFORE REPUBLICAN
LINDSEY GRAHAM’S COMMITTEE AND
WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR THE
DEMOCRATS TO QUESTION HIM ON THE
HOUSE SIDE HE SAID I’M NOT
SHOWING UP.
SHOWING UP. I THINK IT’S ABOUT THE
DOCUMENTS, IT’S ALSO ABOUT
TESTIMONY, WHERE IS THIS GOING?
THIS IS GOING TO A FULL VOTE ON
THE HOUSE FLOOR WHERE YOU’LL SEE
A PARTY LINE VOTE WHERE THE
HOUSE WILL HOLD BILL BARR IN
CONTEMPT.
CONTEMPT. BUT THIS IS A WARMUP FOR THE
LARGER ISSUE, A BROADER
CONSTITUTIONAL INQUIRY INTO THE
PRESIDENT’S CONDUCT, WHETHER
THERE WERE HIGH CRIMES AND
MISDEMEANORS, ABUSED HIS OATH OF
OFFICE, ABUSED HIS POWER, WHICH
IS THE PRELUDE TO IMPEACHMENT.
IF THERE ARE HEARINGS, WILL THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH PLAY BALL?
RIGHT NOW THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION’S POSITION IS
WE’RE A BANANA REPUBLIC.
UNLESS YOU CAN DRAG SOMEONE INTO
THE CHAIR, HANDCUFF BEHIND THEIR
BACKS THEY’RE NOT GOING TO
ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
THERE’S NO RESPECT FOR THE RULE
OF LAW DOCTRINE.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID WE’RE A
BANANA REPUBLIC, NOT
PARTICIPATING.
PARTICIPATING. AND I THINK THE DEMOCRATS HAVE
TO THINK LONG AND HARD, IS THIS
A MOMENT WHERE THAT IN ITSELF IS
AN OBSTRUCTION, AN ABUSE OF
POWER THAT REQUIRES A
CONSTITUTIONAL REACTION?
CONSTITUTIONAL REACTION? >> I UNDERSTAND THIS -- WHO ARE
THE ARCHITECTS OF THE LEGAL
STRATEGY.
STRATEGY. WE TALKED ABOUT EMMET FLOOD THIS
WEEK BECAUSE HE’S A MEMBER OF
THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL OFFICE
WHO WROTE A LETTER TRASHING
ROBERT MUELLER’S CONCLUSION OF
HIS INVESTIGATION WHERE HE
REFUSED TO EXONERATE AND REFUSED
TO RECOMMEND CHARGES.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE HAD DEMANDED MORE FROM
MUELLER.
MUELLER. THAT THEY WANTED HIM TO GO SO
FAR AS TO OFFER THAT DECLINATION
LETTER THAT CAME FROM ROD
ROSENSTEIN AND WILLIAM BARR?
>> I’M NOT SURE THE WHITE HOUSE
WANTED THAT, BUT THERE ARE TWO
ARGUMENTS THAT YOU SEE THE
ADMINISTRATION MAKING ONE IS
EMMET FLOOD WHO’S BEEN WORKING
IN THE WHITE HOUSE QUIETLY FOR
MONTHS CREATING A LEGAL
FRAMEWORK FOR THIS MOMENT --
>> WHY IS HE THERE?
WHO BROUGHT HIM THERE?
>> HE WAS BROUGHT IN TO HELP
TAKE CONTROL OF THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION AND GET THINGS
MORE ORDERLY AFTER THE
PRESIDENT’S PREVIOUS LEGAL
TEAM --
TEAM -- >> BY ORDERLY YOU MEAN HIDE
THINGS, BUTTON-DOWN THE HATCHES.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. THAT’S WHY HE WAS APPEALING TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND DON McGHAN
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT’S OTHER
ATTORNEYS WERE WANTING TO
COOPERATE WITH MUELLER AND, IN
FACT, WAVED EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE,
INCLUDING DON McGHAN TO TESTIFY
WITH MUELLER.
WITH MUELLER. EMMET FLOOD IS A KEY COMCOMPONEN
THE OTHER IS PAT SIPILONI,
SIGNING THESE LETTERS AND DOING
A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. THEY’VE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS
FOR MANY MONTHS AND RIGHT NOW
THEY’RE JUST EXECUTING THEIR
STRATEGY.
STRATEGY. >> WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THOSE
TWO MEN HAVE AS THEIR LEGACY
LOOKING MORE HARD CORE THAN JOHN
YOO.
YOO. TO EXPLAIN THE POINT OF JOHN
YOO’S ANALYSIS, HE WAS SO
EXTREME, ONE OF THE MOST
INDEFENSIBLE ACTORS OF THE BUSH
YEARS NOT JUST FOR THE SUBSTANCE
OF WHAT HE ARGUED WAS LEGAL BUT
THE AGGRESSIVENESS HE SAW
EXECUTIVE POWER.
EXECUTIVE POWER. YOU HAVE TWO GENTLEMEN WAY ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LEDGE FROM
JOHN YOO.
JOHN YOO. >> BY THE END YOU’LL SEE TWO
MORE, WILLIAM BARR AND STEVEN
ENGEL IN THE OFFICE THAT JOHN
YOO WORKED IN WHO WILL BE
OFFERING AGGRESSIVE OLC MEMOS
AND WHAT THE PRESIDENT CAN
ASSERT.
ASSERT. I THINK THE FOUR OF THEM, BY THE
END OF THIS, ARE GOING TO
SUCCEED GREATLY IN CHANGING THE
BALANCE OF POWER FOREVER OR
THEY’RE GOING TO FAIL AND IT’S
GOING TO BE UP TO THE COURTS TO
DECIDE BECAUSE THE AGGRESSIVE
STANCES THAT THEY’RE TAKING, IF
THEY ARE BLESSED BY THE COURTS
WILL FOREVER CHANGE
CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT.
CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT. COULD END CONGRESSIONAL
OVERSIGHT.
OVERSIGHT. IF IF IT STANDS YOU CAN BLOW OFF
A CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENA --
REMEMBER WHAT THEY DID TODAY,
THEY DIDN’T ASSERT EXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE OVER A NARROW SCOPE OF
DOCUMENTS THEY SAID IT APPLIES
TO ALL THE DOCUMENTS IN THE
MUELLER REPORT --
>> AND WITNESSES.
>> YEAH, AND WITNESSES,
WITNESSES THAT CAN COME UP AND
TESTIFY.
TESTIFY. IF THAT STANDS THOSE FOUR
INDIVIDUALS I THINK WILL BE THE
ARCHITECT OF A CHANGE IN THE
CONSTITUTION OF THIS COUNTRY.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ONE THING, SO
THE COURTS RULE ON THIS, AND
THEY ORDER THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
TO COMPLY WITH THE SUBPOENA OR
PRODUCE DOCUMENTS OR TESTIMONY,
WHAT IF THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS NO?
IS THIS NOT A BANANA REPUBLIC.
>> THAT’S WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR
CONSTITUTIONAL CRY
CONSTITUTIONAL CRY CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS.
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS. THE ANDREW JACKSON QUOTE, NOW
LET THEM ENFORCE IT?
>> ISN’T THAT WHY TAKING
IMPEACHMENT OFF THE TABLE IS
LIKE ASKING DEMOCRATS TO GO TO
BATTLE IN A BANANA REPUBLIC WITH
THEIR HANDS TIED THEIR BANK?
THE ONLY THING DONALD TRUMP IS
AFRAID OF IS THE TELEVISION OF
IMPEACHMENT, NOT IMPEACHMENT.
I WAS TOLD 18 MONTHS AGO HE WAS
AWARE OF BILL CLINTON’S NUMBERS
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
IMPEACHMENT, HE WAS AT 67%.
MEANWHILE, DONALD TRUMP HAS
NEVER OR WILL EVER SEEN 67%.
HE WATCHED CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD
AND WAS SO MOVED BY HER
PERFORMANCE, NEVER MIND IT WAS
THE TELLING OF THE MOST HORRIFIC
MOMENT OF HER LIFE THAT HE WAS
ALMOST SWAYED ON BRETT
KAVANAUGH.
KAVANAUGH. I DON’T KNOW THAT THIS IS ABOUT
WHAT IT SHOULD BE ABOUT FOR
DONALD TRUMP, IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT
THE SHOW.
THE SHOW. >> UNLESS CONGRESS IS ABLE TO
CONDUCT OVERSIGHT, PERFORM ITS
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES,
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES, UNLESS COURT ORDERS ARE
RESPECTED, TEMPORARY RETRAININGS
ORDERS ARE RESPECTED BY THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH, WE DON’T LIVE
IN A DEMOCRACY.
MAYBE THAT’S DONALD TRUMP’S
AMERICA, AN EXTREME WAY OF
PUTTING IT.
PUTTING IT. BUT THAT’S WHAT’S AT STAKE HERE?
>> IF THOSE ARE THE STAKES, WHY
IS IMPEACHMENT SUCH A HARD
QUESTION FOR DEMOCRATS.
>> I DON’T THINK IT’S OFF THE
TABLE FOREVER FOR DEMOCRATS.
I THINK THE QUESTION IS HOW FAR
WILL THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH PUSH
CONGRESS?
CONGRESS? IF THERE ARE CONTEMPT VOTES
AFTER CONTEMPT VOTES IF THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH DOESN’T COMPLY
WITH ANY PROCESS, THEN CONGRESS
HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO INVESTIGATE
TO ABUSE OF POWER, ABUSE OF OATH
OF OFFICE AND THAT LEADS TO
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS.
IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS. >> PHIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY FAITH
THEY’RE GOING TO WAKE UP
TOMORROW AND SAY, WHAT’S THIS
FOR?
FOR? THIS IS FOR CHILDREN IN JAIL
WE’LL DO THIS.
WHAT MAKES THEM TURN THE BOAT
AROUND?
AROUND? >> I DON’T KNOW THAT THEY’RE
GOING TO.
GOING TO. KEEP IN MIND THE DEMOCRATS ARE
DOING THIS BECAUSE OF THE
MIDTERM ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAD A
POPULAR MANDATE TO HAVE A CHECK
ON THIS ADMINISTRATION’S POWER.
THERE’S A LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AND
EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND THE