LEADER IN THE HOUSE, MIGHT LIE
UNDER OATH IS KIND OF ASTOUNDING
BUT ALSO NOT SURPRISING.
JOINING ME NOW IS ONE OF DONALD
TRUMP’S MOST VOCAL CRITICS IN
THE HOUSE, IN CONGRESS,
DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN
OMAR OF MINNESOTA, THE WHIP FOR
THE HOUSE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS.
GOOD MORNING, CONGRESSWOMAN.
YOU DREW UP ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT ON THE DAY OF THE
ATTACK ITSELF, JANUARY 6th.
IS THIS WHAT YOU INTENDED, A
TRIAL WITHOUT WITNESSES?
IS THAT WHAT YOU THOUGHT WOULD
HAPPEN?
>> SURE.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THE
WITNESSES AS PART OF CONGRESS.
I MEAN, WEMP WERE ALL THERE AS
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE.
THE SENATE WAS ALL THERE.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WERE ALL
THERE.
AND SO IT REALLY WOULDN’T HAVE
BEEN THAT MUCH NECESSARY TO HAVE
ADDITIONAL WITNESSES COME SPEAK
TO EVIDENCE THAT MAJORITY OF US
SAW AND WERE PRESENT FOR.
>> ALTHOUGH CONGRESSWOMAN
BUTLER, REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSWOMAN, SHE WAS THE ONLY
PERSON WHO KNOWS ABOUT THE CALL
BETWEEN KEVIN McCARTHY AND
DONALD TRUMP.
I’M ASSUMING THERE’S VARIOUS
PEOPLE IN THE NATIONAL GUARD WHO
KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN PHONE CALLS
WITH THE PENTAGON THAT DAY ABOUT
WHETHER TO GO OR STAND DOWN.
YOU HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO
COULD HAVE OFFERED INSIGHTS AND
HURT THE DEFENSE’S ARGUMENT.
IT SEEMED BIZARRE YESTERDAY TO
SEE A VOTE THAT’S WON BY THE
DEMOCRATS ON WITNESSES, TALK OF
WITNESSES, THEN SUDDENLY AT THE
LAST SECOND A PULLBACK
APPARENTLY TO SAVE TIME.
SURELY YOU GET WHY A LOT OF
DEMOCRATS BOTH ONLINE AND
GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS ARE UPSET.
THEY SEE DEMOCRATS FOLDING AGAIN
IN THE FACE OF REPUBLICAN
OBSTRUCTION AND NEVER BEING UP
FOR A FIGHT.
>> I MEAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND
THEIR FRUSTRATION, BUT YOU HAVE
TO REMEMBER THAT LEADERSHIP IN
THE SENATE, LEADERSHIP IN THE
HOUSE WERE ALL HAVING THESE
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION, WITH MIKE PENCE,
WITH TRUMP, AND THEY WERE ALL
REPORTING BACK TO THEIR
CAUCUSES.
AND SO 90% OF THESE
CONVERSATIONS WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT ARE NOT SOMETHING THAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN NEW INFORMATION
TO ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD
HAVE MADE ANY CONSIDERATIONS ON
WHETHER TO CONVICT OR ACQUIT
THIS PRESIDENT.
THE DECISIONS SADLY THAT THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS MADE WAS A
CALCULATION BASED ON POWER AND
VIOLENCE, BEING MORE VALUABLE TO
THEM THAN PROTECTING THIS
DEMOCRACY.
WHAT WE SAW IN THIS WEEK’S
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL WERE NEARLY
EVERY SINGLE SENATE REPUBLICAN
VOTED TO BLOCK EVEN THE
CONSIDERATION OF CHARGES AGAINST
TRUMP TELLS US EVERYTHING THAT
WE NEED TO KNOW.
I MEAN, I WAS IN THE ROOM WITH
TEN OF THE LEADERS, FIVE FROM
THE SENATE, FIVE FROM THE HOUSE.
I REMEMBER THE PLEAS THEY WERE
MAKING TO THE ACTING SECRETARY
OF THE D.O.D.
I REMEMBER MITCH AND THE
CONVERSATIONS HE WAS HAVING.
HE REMEMBERS THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.
HE WAS THERE.
HE REMEMBERS THAT THE PRESIDENT
DID NOT SEND HELP AND WAS NOT
DOING WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO AS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT ABOUT
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND WHAT
THEY DID ON TUESDAY, 45 OF THEM
SAY IT’S NOT EVEN CONSTITUTIONAL
TO TRY DONALD TRUMP.
THAT’S CLEAR.
AND NO ONE’S MAKING ANY EXCUSES
FOR A BILLION DOLLAR-FAITH
ANTI-DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
I GUESS WHAT WE’RE SAYING, IT’S
NOT ABOUT TRYING TO CONVINCE
REPUBLICANS.
IT’S ABOUT DOING WHAT’S
NECESSARY TO GET TO THE TRUTH,
DOING WHAT’S NECESSARY TO EXPOSE
ALL OF THE EVIDENCE, AND NOT
BEING IN A HURRY.
I’M GUESSING THAT IF YOU WERE
PRESIDENT AND YOU WERE ACCUSED
OF INCITING AN INSURRECTION,
REPUBLICANS WOULD DON’T A
FOUR-DAY, FIVE-DAY TRIAL WITHOUT
WITNESSES.
THEY’D DRAG IT OUT TO HURT YOU.
>> CERTAINLY.
I MEAN, AND YOU HAVE TO
REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE
CALCULATIONS PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE
IN REGARDS TO TIME AND HOW MUCH
OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO
WILL BE TAKEN UP BY THIS.
THERE IS SO MUCH PAIN AND
SUFFERING THAT’S HAPPENING WITH
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND, YOU
KNOW, WE DO HAVE OTHER PRESSURES
OF PEOPLE TELLING US TO GET THEM
THE COVID RELIEF THEY NEED AND
TO GET TO WORK ON BEHALF OF THE
PEOPLE AS WELL.
>> DEFINITELY.
AND THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE,
ALTHOUGH THERE’S A SEPARATE
DEBATE ABOUT THE FILIBUSTER
PREVENTING A LOT OF THAT WORK
AND THE REST OF THE BIDEN AGENDA
GETTING DONE.
I’M JUST CHECKING.
YOU WERE IN FAVOR OF GETTING RID
OF THE FILIBUSTER, RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
THAT’S REALLY NOW WHAT WE HAVE
TO DO.
WE NEED TO DRAMATICALLY REFORM
OUR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS.
WE HAVE TO END THIS FILIBUSTER.
WE HAVE TO BAN JERRYGERRYMANDERI
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
WERE REMOVING SUBSTANTIAL
BARRIERS FOR VOTING FOR
LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES AND
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
WE HAVE TO END THE UNCHECKED
CORPORATE POWER IN POLITICS.
THERE’S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE
CAN DO.
>> ON THAT NOTE, WE’RE ALMOST
OUT OF TIME, BUT I WANT TO ASK
YOU ABOUT THE WORK YOU’RE DOING,
UNRELATED TO IMPEACHMENT BUT
IMPORTANT.
YOU AND SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN
LAST WEEK CO-AUTHORED A LETTER
TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
CALLING FOR A REVIEW OF U.S.
SANCTIONS AS A FOREIGN POLICY
TOOL.
YOU SAY IT’S CAUSING
HUMANITARIAN SUFFERING.
BRIEFLY, HOW IS IT CAUSING
SUFFERING?
WHERE?
>> IN SO MANY PLACES.
WE KNOW THAT IT’S GOING TO BE
REALLY IMPORTANT, THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY TAKEN
A FIRST STEP TO DO A REVIEW AND
WE’RE ASKING THEM TO DO A
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND GET RID
OF, YOU KNOW, SANCTIONS THAT ARE
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
WE KNOW THAT SANCTIONS OFTEN ARE
A TOOL THAT IS USED.
WE DON’T CHECK WHETHER IT’S
GOING TO WORK OR NOT AND
OFTENTIMES IT HURTS THE PEOPLE
IN THOSE COUNTRIES THAT WE ARE
TRYING TO HELP.
AND WE ARE ASKING FOR THIS
ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE A
HOLISTIC LOOK AND GET RID OF
THOSE THAT ARE HARMFUL AND
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO WHAT WE ARE
TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AS A
COUNTRY.
>> WELL, WE’LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT