CONGRESSWOMAN OMAR IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO CALL FOR
>>> AND WELCOME BACK TO AN
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON "THE
BEAT."
BEAT." CONGRESSWOMAN ILHAN OMAR ’70s
THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
THANKS FOR JOINING ME TONIGHT.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> LET’S GET RIGHT INTO WHAT THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS DOING
IN THE JUDICIARY.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE CASE FOR
IMPEACHMENT?
IMPEACHMENT? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
>> YEAH, I MEAN SO THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS ABOUT
TO ISSUE THEIR REPORT TOMORROW,
AND WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO VOTE ON IT AND TO SEND IT TO
JUDICIARY.
JUDICIARY. WE WILL HEAR FROM CONSTITUTIONAL
SCHOLARS AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO REALLY LAY OUT FOR THE PUBLIC
WHAT KIND OF ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT COULD BE DRAWN UP IN
THIS PROCESS, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU
HAVE TO REMEMBER, RIGHT, THIS
BEGAN IN A WAY FOR US TO GIVE
THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY TO
UNDERSTAND AND MOVE ALONG IN
THIS PROCESS WITH US, AND AS WE
GO INTO THE SECOND PHASE, THEY
WILL GET TO DO THAT MORE.
>> YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY ADVOCATED
FOR IMPEACHING THIS PRESIDENT ON
OTHER GROUNDS BEFORE THE UKRAINE
BRIBERY PLOT WAS EXPOSED.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT THINKING ON
HOW NARROW OR BROAD TO ADVANCE
IMPEACHMENT?
IMPEACHMENT? I KNOW YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE HAD
SOME OF THIS DEBATE.
WE’VE SEEN DISCUSSION OF
UKRAINE, OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE,
DO YOU INCLUDE MUELLER OR NOT,
THE ISSUES AROUND CORRUPTION AND
EMOLUMENTS, AS WELL AS THE
QUESTION WHETHER THE PRESIDENT’S
EXPOSED BIGOTRY AND RACISM,
INCLUDING WE SHOULD MENTION
AGAINST YOU, AMONG OTHERS,
SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
DO YOU HAVE A VIEW ON HOW BROAD
THE ARTICLES SHOULD BE?
>> I’VE SAID FOR A REALLY LONG
TIME THAT IT WASN’T GOING TO
BE -- IF THE PRESIDENT WAS
GETTING IMPEACHED, IT WAS GOING
TO BE WHEN.
I BELIEVED THAT THERE WERE
MULTIPLE REASONS FOR US TO MOVE
IMPEACHMENT ON THIS PRESIDENT,
AND RIGHT NOW I THINK IT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE
IT BE NARROWED, BECAUSE THIS IS
A VERY CONCISE CASE, REGARDLESS
OF THE SHENANIGANS THAT THE
REPUBLICANS ARE ENGAGED IN AT
THE MOMENT.
THE MOMENT. THE PUBLIC CAN CLEARLY
UNDERSTAND WHERE THE VIOLATIONS
ARE AND CAN FOLLOW THIS CASE, AS
YOU HAVE NOW DONE IN THE
PREVIOUS SEGMENT.
PREVIOUS SEGMENT. CASE AFTER CASE HAVE SHOWN
SIMILAR CASES THAT ARE -- THAT
GIVE US PRECEDENT.
THE PUBLIC GETS TO DO THAT AND
GETS TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS
PARTICULAR CASE WITH UKRAINE IS
A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS
LAWLESS PRESIDENT HAS TAKEN
ADVANTAGE OF THE PUBLIC TRUST,
HAS VIOLATED HIS OATH OF OFFICE,
AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO
IMPEACH HIM SO, WE CAN RESTORE
THE INTEGRITY AND THE HONESTY.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> AND THE TRUST OF THE
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. >> TO MAKE SURE I’M HEARING YOU
RIGHT ON THAT, YOU WOULD SAY ON,
SAY, THE BIGOTRY THAT YOU
DISCUSSED BEFORE, THE MUELLER
STUFF YOU WOULD SAY LEAVE THAT
OUT?
OUT? >> I THINK THERE ARE OTHER
OPPORTUNITIES, BUT RIGHT NOW WE
HAVE A CLEAR CASE, AND I BELIEVE
THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW THIS ONE.
YOU KNOW, I’VE USED EXAMPLES
WHERE YOU’VE HAD MOB BOSSES WHO
HAVE COMMITTED ATROCITY AFTER
ATROCITY, HAVE VIOLATED OUR
CRIMINAL CODES OF CONDUCT, AND
WE GOT THEM ON ONE NARROW CASE.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> BUT THEY GET TO SERVE TIME.
AND WHAT’S IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW
IS THAT FOR THIS PARTICULAR
PRESIDENT THAT WE KNOW HAS MANY
CASES WHERE WE CAN IMPEACH HIM
ON, THAT WE FOCUS ON THE ONE
WHAT THE PUBLIC IS PAYING
ATTENTION TO AND IMPEACH HIM ON
THAT.
THAT. >> CONGRESSWOMAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE
YOU ARE ARTFULLY MAKING A
COMPARISON ON THE LEGAL
PRECEDENT TO THIS PRESIDENT AND
AL CAPONE.
AL CAPONE. >> YES.
>> YES. >> WITHOUT TECHNICALLY SAYING AL
CAPONE.
CAPONE. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF,
BUT I ALSO OBVIOUSLY WANT TO
HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR
AGENDA.
AGENDA. IT’S YOUR FIRST TIME ON "THE
BEAT."
BEAT." WE OFTEN TALK POLICY WITH FOLKS.
YOU’VE BEEN WORKING ON SOMETHING
RELATING TO BOTH PUBLIC HOUSING
AND ENVIRONMENTALISM.
AND ENVIRONMENTALISM. I’M GOING TO JUST READ A LITTLE
BIT FROM A ROUGH SUMMARY.
A TRILLION DOLLARS WHICH IS WHAT
THE 2009 STIMULUS BILL HAD TO
KEEP THE U.S. FROM SLIDING INTO
DEPRESSION, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
THAT ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION.
THIS WOULD BE FOR GREEN PUBLIC
HOUSING.
HOUSING. EXPLAIN THIS IDEA.
>> SO WE HAVE A HOUSING CRISIS.
THERE IS SO MANY AMERICANS WHO
ARE EITHER HOMELESS OR FACED
WITH HOME -- HOUSING INSECURITY.
ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW AS WE LOOK
AT THE COLD WEATHER, I REPRESENT
ONE OF THE COLD ESTATES.
AND LAST NIGHT ON A GIVEN NIGHT,
10,000 MINNESOTANS WERE
HOMELESS.
HOMELESS. AND OF THAT, 6,000 WERE YOUNG
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. WE HAVE CHILDREN WHO ARE SHOWING
UP EVERY SINGLE DAY TO OUR
SCHOOLS FACED WITH HOMELESSNESS
OR HOUSING INSECURITY.
SO THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT FACES
EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN REGARDLESS
OF WHAT CORNER OF OUR COUNTRY
THEY ARE IN, AND IT’S ABOUT TIME
FOR US TO ENGAGE AND MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE SOLVING THIS CRISIS.
WE KNOW THAT THE PRIVATE MARKET
ISN’T ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH THE
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS TO
INJECT AND GUARANTEE AND FULFILL
THE HOMES FOR ALL GUARANTEE THAT
IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY
AMERICAN HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
BE HOUSED.
BE HOUSED. SO WE’RE GOING TO CREATE PUBLIC
HOUSING.
HOUSING. WE’RE GOING CREATE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
HOUSING. AND WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE
THAT IT IS BUILD TO THE HIGHEST
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, THAT
THERE ARE NO AMERICAN THAT IS
GOING TO BE DISCRIMINATED ON THE
BASIS OF SEX, OF GENDER, OF
IMMIGRATION STATUS OR THEIR
CRIMINAL RECORD.
CRIMINAL RECORD. WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT
IS -- IT’S GOT WRAPAROUND
SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE
FACED CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS OR
THINGS LIKE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND
OTHER THINGS.
OTHER THINGS. WE’RE ALSO GOING TO MAKE SURE
THAT THERE IS MONEY PUT IN, IN A
FUND TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF
GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT
THAT MANY AMERICANS ARE FACED
WITH.
WITH. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> TODAY.
>> TODAY. >> WELL, YOU JUST MENTIONED
ENVIRONMENTALISM, HOUSING
ENVIRONMENTALISM, HOUSING INSECURITY, DISCRIMINATION
INSECURITY, DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
INCARCERATED, AND OUT AND OUT
HOMELESSNESS, WHICH ARE ALL SUCH
IMPORTANT ISSUES IN THE COUNTRY.
IT’S INTERESTING TO HEAR SOME OF
THE OTHER WORK THAT IS GOING ON
IN CONGRESS.
IN CONGRESS. >> THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY
REALLY TO CREATE A VISION OF
WHAT OUR 21st CENTURY CENTURY
HOUSING SHOULD LOOK LIKE, AND
THERE IS SO MUCH EXCITEMENT IN
MY HOME STATE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY FOR THIS BILL.
AND IT’S ONE OF THE MOST
SUBSTANTIAL POLICY PIECES OF THE
GREEN NEW DEAL.
SO WE’RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR NINE
MONTHS TO WORK WITH GRASSROOTS
CHAMPIONS ON HOUSING TO GET THIS
BILL OUT THERE.
>> YEAH, VERY INTERESTING,
IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND I’M GLAD TO
GET YOU ON "THE BEAT."
I HOPE YOU COME BACK.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AND OTHER