PERSPECTIVE ON THAT WANT TO
BRING IN CALIFORNIA CONGRESSMAN
HARLEY RUDA, HE SERVES ON THE
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE A
MEMBER OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC
COALITION CONGRESSMAN GOOD TO
HAVE YOU THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MARIA: SO YOU VOTED FOR THE
MUELLER REPORT TO BE PUBLIC WAS
THAT A POLITICAL STUNT AS YOU
JUST HEARD?
>> NO I DON'T THINK IT WAS A
POLITICAL STUNT AT ALL.
WHAT WE SAW LEADING UP TO THAT
VOTE WAS THE PRESIDENT MAKING
SUGGESTING THAT PERHAPS IT
DIDN'T NEED TO BE RELEASED, AND
CONCERNS WITH THE ANSWERS BY THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BE SPOT ON
SAYING IT WOULD BE RELEASED, AND
CONGRESS DID WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED
TO DO, TAKE ACTION TO MAKE SURE
THIS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
THAT THE PUBLIC REALLY WANTS TO
SEE AND PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE
TRANSPARENCY INTO THAT
INVESTIGATION IS INTO THE HANDS
FOR ALL OF US TO DIGEST,
UNDERSTAND, AND CONTEMPLATE WHAT
NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE NEXT.
MARIA: SO WHAT DO YOU THINK
ABOUT ALL OF THIS THAT HAS TAKEN
PLACE?
I WOULD IMAGINE WHETHER YOU'RE
ON THE RIGHT OR ON THE LEFT YOU
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
DEMOCRACY STAYS SECURE AND STAYS
TRUTHFUL.
THESE KABAL OF PEOPLE, PETER
STRZOK AND LISA PAGE AND OTHERS,
ANDREW MCCABE WHOSE GOTTEN
CRIMINAL REFERRALS, THEY PUT
THEIR FINGER ON THE SCALE TO
CHANGE THE ELECTION, AND TAKE
DOWN A DULY-ELECTED
PRESIDENT YOU'VE SEEN ALL OF THE
EVIDENCE.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US?
>> WELL YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE LOOK AT THAT EVIDENCE, AND IT
DOES REQUIRE ADDITIONAL DUE
DILIGENCE AND INVESTIGATION, BUT
ALSO, WE CAN'T USE BAD ACTORS
FROM THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
OR OTHERWISE AS JUSTIFICATION
FOR NOT DOING OUR JOB IF THERE
ARE BAD ACTS TAKING PLACE UNDER
THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.
WE ARE REQUIRED, UNDER THE
CONSTITUTION, TO PROVIDE
OVERSIGHT, AND I SOMETIMES FEEL
LIKE THIS IS LIKE A MIDDLE
SCHOOL KID THAT ARE TRYING TO
JUSTIFY THEIR BEHAVIOR BY
POINTING TO PAST BEHAVIOR OF
OTHERS AS SAYING WELL THEY DID
IT TOO SO I'M ALLOWED TO DO IT
OR WHY ARE YOU PICKING ON ME
WHEN YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT
THIS.
MARIA: BUT YOU KNOW WE'RE
LOOKING AT THE OVERSIGHT OF THE
HILLARY CLINTON E-MAIL SCANDAL,
AND YES, SHE'S GOING BACK
SEVERAL YEARS IN TERMS OF
LOOKING IN THE BACKDROP, BUT WAS
HILLARY CLINTON TREATED THE WAY
THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE
SOMEONE WHO DID EXHIBIT GROSS
NEGLIGENCE WITH CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION, WAS SHE TREATED
FAIRLY?
WAS THAT INVESTIGATION A FAIR
ONE?
>> WELL I JUST GOT THE CONGRESS
SO I WILL POINT THIS OUT.
REPUBLICANS HAVE HELD THE HOUSE
FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS THEY'VE
HAD OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY.
MARIA: GOOD POINT.
>> THEY'VE HAD AUTHORITY TO
OVERSEE THAT INVESTIGATION OF
THE E-MAILS AND HILLARY CLINTON,
AND LOOK AT WHAT'S CONCLUDED.
THERE WERE NO INDICTMENTS.
THERE WERE NO CONVICTIONS AND
YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON THE
MUELLER INVESTIGATION.
WE ALMOST HAVE 40 CONVICTIONS
AND INDICTMENTS ALREADY AND THE
REPORT HASN'T EVEN BEEN RELEASED
MARIA: BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR
THOSE CONVICTIONS HAVE NOTHING
TO DO WITH COLLUSION OR DONALD
TRUMP.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT, SO
THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO GET
THROUGH THE REPORT AND BY THE
WAY YOU ALSO NEED TO REMEMBER
TOO THE MUELLER REPORT IS ONLY
ONE OF THREE INVESTIGATIONS
GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND IT'S
FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON WHAT
TRANSPIRED DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
YOU ALSO HAVE WHAT'S GOING ON IN
THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW
YORK AND EASTERN DISTRICT OF
VIRGINIA, SO WE TEND TO FOCUS ON
THE MUELLER REPORT BEING
RELEASED AND AT THAT POINT
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.
IT'S NOT.
CALIFORNIA, HARLEY ROUDA,
CONGRESSMAN LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT
THIS UPCOMING VOTE, MITCH
MCCONNELL HAS FOLLOWED THROUGH
ON HIS PROMISE TO CALL A TEST
VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING THE GREEN NEW DEAL.
ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE FOR IT?
>> WE PREFER TO VEHICLE US ON
TED LOU'S LEGISLATION WHICH IS
GOING TO BE 100 BY 35 SUBMITTED
TO THE 116TH CONGRESS BUT I DO
THINK MITCH MCCONNELL CERTAINLY
IS DOING THIS FOR SHOWMANSHIP.
HE WOULDN'T PUT CERTAIN VOTES
THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO
REOPENING THE GOVERNMENT BUT HE
WANTS TO PUT THIS VOTE ON THE
TABLE TO GET PEOPLE ON RECORD IN
HOPES OF EMBARRASSING THEM.
MARIA: I DON'T KNOW ABOUT SHOW
MANSHIP AND GETTING PEOPLE
ON RECORD TO EMBARRASS THEM.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHO BACKS
SOMETHING LIKE THIS RIGHT?
YOU'VE GOT REPORTS THAT THE
GREEN NEW DEAL IS GOING TO COST
$94 TRILLION AND THAT IT MAKES
NO SENSE THAT YOU COULD DO AWAY
WITH FOSSIL FUELS IN 12 YEARS.
WOULDN'T IT BE IMPORTANT FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND
WHO ACTUALLY BELIEVES THAT THIS
IS ACTUALLY DOABLE AND WHO
ACTUALLY KNOWS THAT IT DOESN'T
MAKE ANY SENSE?
>> WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT
THAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT
CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL AND THAT
WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION, AND
WHILE YOU CAN POINT TO ANY
LEGISLATION, OR PROPOSED
LEGISLATION, AND POINT OUT THE
FAULTS OF IT.
WE CANNOT DENY THAT CLIMATE
CHANGE IS IMPACTING EVERY
CITIZEN OF OUR COUNTRY AROUND
THE WORLD, AND SO LET'S QUIT
FOCUSING ON AREAS OF WHERE WE
HAVE CLEAR DISAGREEMENT AND
FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND, AND I
WISH MITCH MCCONNELL WOULD SAY
YES, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.
YOU'RE WRONG LET'S GET TOGETHER
AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THIS
MARIA: WHAT ABOUT IS THERE A BIG
PRESSURE, DO YOU FEEL PRESSURE
WITHIN YOUR PARTY TO GO ALONG
WITH SOME OF THESE PIE IN THE
SKY IDEAS?
I MEAN YOU'VE GOT THE GREEN NEW
DEAL, YOU'VE GOT MEDICARE FOR
ALL WHICH WIPES OUT THE PRIVATE
INSURANCE INDUSTRY, YOU'VE GOT A
TAX ON WEALTH IDEA FROM
ELIZABETH WARREN WHICH IS
UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND YOU'VE GOT
A 70% TAX THAT AOC WANTS.
HOW MUCH PRESSURE ARE YOU
FEELING TO GO ALONG WITH SOME OF
YOUR FRESHMAN COLLEAGUES LIKE AO
C, EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THE
MODERATES DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANY
OF THESE THINGS WOULD ACTUALLY
MATERIALIZE?
>> I DON'T FEEL ANY PRESSURE AT
ALL AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
THE CITIZENS OF ORANGE COUNTY
WHO ELECTED ME HERE RECOGNIZE
THAT I HAVE MODERATE VIEWS, I
COME FROM A BUSINESS
BACKGROUND, I'VE BUILT COMPANIES
UP TO 10,000 PEOPLE, I BELIEVE
IN CAPITALISM AND I BELIEVE IN
GOOD GOVERNMENT AND I BELIEVE
THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER, SO
WHETHER THE OUTLANDISH IDEAS ON
THE LEFT OR RIGHT, I'M NOT GOING
TO SUPPORT IT.
I'M GOING TO WORK WITH MY
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WHO
BELIEVE THAT MOST AMERICANS ARE
BETWEEN THE 20-YARD LINE AND GET
GOOD LEGISLATION ACCOMPLISHED.
MARIA: WHICH IS WHY YOU BELIEVE
IN BORDER CONTROL.