♪.
CHARLES: STANDOFF OVER THE
SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
EXTENDING INTO THE NEW YEAR.
WE'RE STILL WAITING TO SEE WHEN
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI WILL SEND
TWO ARTICLES TO THE UPPER
CHAMBER.
SOME REPUBLICANS ARGUE THE
SPEAKER IS IN CONTEMPT
CONFERENCE.
THAT IMPEACHMENT ISN'T VALID
UNTIL SHE TRANSFERS THE CHARGES.
CONGRESSMAN ANDY BIGGS ON HOUSE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND CO-CHAIR
OF THE HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, SIR.
CONGRESSMAN BIGGS, WHERE DO
THINGS STAND AT VERY MOMENT?
>> WHERE WE ARE WHERE WE WERE A
WEEK 1/2 AGO.
NANCY PELOSI IS BASICALLY
HOLDING ON TO THE ARTICLES.
SHE IS NOT TRANSMITTING, SHE IS
SOFTLY BACKING AWAY FROM HER
ORIGINAL REASON WHY, SHE WANTED
LEVERAGE, WANTED TO CONTROL THE
U.S. SENATE TRIAL WHICH SHE
CANNOT DO.
SO, QUESTION IS, AND YOU HAVE
ASKED IT, FRAMED IT RIGHT, IS
SHE GOING TO TRANSMIT?
IF SO, WHEN WILL SHE TRANSMIT?
WHAT IMPACT WILL THAT HAVE?
UNLIKE ANY OTHER TIME IN THE
HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY.
WHERE YOU HAVE THE SPEAKER OF
THE HOUSE TRYING TO CONTROL THE
SENATE DOING ITS CONSTITUTIONAL
DUTY.
CHARLES: BEYOND THE HUBRIS OF
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE TRYING TO
DICTATE HOW THINGS GO IN THE
SENATE, IT FEELS LIKE THE
DEMOCRATS, PARTICULARLY
NANCY PELOSI, GRAPPLING AS THIS
THING LINGERS ON.
HASN'T SERVED THEM WELL WITH
RESPECT TO PUBLIC OPINION POLLS,
FUND-RAISING THINGS LIKE THAT.
I FEEL THEY ENTER INTO AN AREA
AND THEY'RE NOT SURE HOW TO GET
THEMSELVES OUT OF IT?
>> I AGREE WITH YOU.
THEY KEPT, AS GOING THROUGH
THIS.
NANCY PELOSI SAID THEY WERE
TRYING TO IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT
FOR 2 1/2 YEARS.
EVERY TIME THEY THOUGHT
SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN, WHETHER
THE MUELLER REPORT, THE MUELLER
DEBACLE ON TV, WHETHER IT WAS
THE ACTUAL OPEN HEARINGS AFTER
THEY HAD CLOSED-DOOR HEARINGS,
YOU GET TO THIS POINT AND
NANCY PELOSI SAYS, OKAY, NEXT
STEP IS TO TRY TO CONTROL IT IN
THE SENATE.
IT HAS NOT PLAYED OUT EVER LIKE
THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD.
IN FACT IT CONTINUES TO WORSEN
FOR THEM, AND IMPROVE FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND PUBLIC
SENTIMENT TOWARDS PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
I THINK WE ALL LOOK AT IT, SAY,
THIS IS AN ABERRATION.
THIS IS ABNORMAL.
THIS IS NOT THE WAY THIS SHOULD
BE DONE.
AND I THINK DECIDING YOU WILL
HOLD THE ARTICLES AND NOT
TRANSMIT IS JUST ONE MORE
EXAMPLE OF A MISSTEP POLITICALLY
BUT ALSO A TROUNCING OF
CONSTITUTION WE INHERENTLY AS
AMERICANS UNDERSTAND, THAT IS
NOT THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO
BE.
CHARLES: MEANTIME FORMER
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN GOT
HIMSELF INTO A REAL PICKLE
SUGGESTING THAT HE WOULD NOT
EVEN TESTIFY IF HE WAS
SUBPOENAED.
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, THE
SOUND OF THAT, ALONG WITH THE
AUDIENCE.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> YOU STAND BY YOUR EARLIER
STATEMENTS THAT YOU WOULDN'T
COMPLY IF YOU WERE SUBPOENAED TO
TESTIFY IN AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
BEFORE THE SENATE?
>> CORRECT.
THE REASON I WOULDN'T IS BECAUSE
IT IS ALL DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH
TRUMP DOING WHAT HE HAS DONE HIS
WHOLE LIFE, TRYING TO TAKE THE
FOCUS OFF HIM.
CHARLES: BIDEN DID TWEET
YESTERDAY, I WANT TO CLARIFY
SOMETHING I SAID YESTERDAY.
IN MY 40 YEARS OF PUBLIC LIFE I
ALWAYS COMPLIED WITH A LAWFUL
ORDER.
IN MY EIGHT YEARS AS VP MY
OFFICE UNLIKE DONALD TRUMP
COOPERATED WITH LEGITIMATE
CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT
REQUESTS.
HE SPOKE WITH CANDOR TO THE
"DES MOINES REGISTER" BUT, YOU
KNOW, TRYING TO CLEAN THIS THING
UP, IT IS INTERESTING, THAT THE
SENATE IS BEING ACCUSED OF
THINGS THAT BEFORE THE
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL EVEN HAPPENS.
HERE JOE BIDEN IS SAYING HEY, I
WILL NOT EVEN COOPERATE?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, IT IS INTERESTING HE HAD
TO CLEAN IT UP, WE GOTTEN USED
TO JOE BIDEN HAVING TO CLEAN UP
STUFF BUT REALITY I THINK WHEN
HE WAS SPEAKING FIRST TIME IS
EXACTLY WHERE HE STANDS.
THEY BELIEVE THAT, DEMOCRATS
BELIEVE AND THE LEFT BELIEVES
THAT WHATEVER THE SENATE DOES IS
NOT GOING TO BE LEGITIMATE.
THAT IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
SO JOE BIDEN IS SAYING I'M NOT
GOING TO GO BUT REALITY IS, THE
QUESTION OVER EXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT
MATTER THAN WHAT HE IS SAYING.
HE IS TRYING TO CONFLATE ACTUAL
SUBPOENA GIVEN TO HIM BY THE
SENATE WHICH THE SENATE WAS
INVOKING, EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE,
THE HOUSE HAD THE RIGHT TO GO TO
COURT TO EXAMINE THE PROCESS.
THEY CHOSE NOT TO BECAUSE THEY
WANTED IN A HURRY.
WE'RE IN TOO BIG AFTER HURRY TO
DO THIS.
THEY SEE THEY'RE NOT THAT BIG
AFTER HURRY AFTER ALL.
JOE BIDEN I THINK WOULD SHOW UP
BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT ANNAL
THAN EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE.
HE WOULD BE SUBJECT TO CONTEMPT.
CHARLES: NANCY PELOSI SEEMS TO
BE IN A QUAGMIRE, MANY ARE
QUESTIONING WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE
GOING TO DO.
EARLIER THIS WEEK KIM STRASSEL
OF "WALL STREET JOURNAL" WROTE
AN ARTICLE, REPUBLICANS
DISMISSING HER TACTICS WHY ARE
REPUBLICANS ASSUMING SHE WANTS A
TRIAL?
IT WOULD, HOW WOULD IT BENEFIT
FOR DEMOCRATS TO CONDUCT A
EFFICIENT SOLEMN PROCEEDINGS.
THE HOUSE WAS FARCE SHIFTING
DEFINITIONS OF HIGH CRIMES.
WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE
REPUBLICANS GOING TO DO?
ARE YOU JUST GOING TO SIT BACK
LET NANCY PELOSI DICTATE HOW
THIS THING GOES?
OR IS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR
GAMEPLAN TO TAKE MORE ACTIONS?
>> ON THE SENATE SIDE I DON'T
THINK NANCY PELOSI HAS ANY
LEVERAGE WHATSOEVER AND I THINK
THAT IS PART OF THE PLAY OUT
THAT KIM IS TALKING ABOUT THERE,
BECAUSE WHAT YOU SEE IS,
MITCH McCONNELL IS STEPPED IN
AND SAID WE'RE GOING TO DO IT
THE WAY THE SENATE IS GOING TO
DO IT.
WE'LL TRY TO DO IT THE WAY THE
CLINTON IMPEACHMENT TRIAL WENT,
AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
DO.
I THINK McCONNELL HAS ALL THE
CARDS IN THE SENATE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT NANCY PELOSI IS GOING TO DO
IS CONTINUE TO OBSTRUCT AND RUN
OVER THE CONSTITUTION.
THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO.
BUT, REMEMBER, WE'RE IN THE
MINORITY.
UNTIL THE REPUBLICANS GET THE
HOUSE BACK ALL WE CAN DO IS
INTRODUCE RESOLUTIONS OF
CONDEMNATIONS, THOSE TYPE OF
THINGS.
CHARLES: LET ME ASK THIS.
SOME ARE SAYING THIS IS THE
BATTLE FOR PUBLIC OPINION.
MITCH McCONNELL SAYING EARLIER
IN THE MONTH THAT THERE IS NO
CHANCE THE PRESIDENT WILL BE
REMOVED.
SENATOR MURKOWSKI SUGGESTING A
COUPLE DAYS AGO SHE IS
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SOME OF THE
THINGS McCONNELL IS SAYING
WITH RESPECT TO REPUBLICANS IN
THE SENATE COORDINATING WITH THE
WHITE HOUSE.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE MAYBE YOU ARE
LOSING OR COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS ASPECT OF
THIS, EVEN THOUGH MANY CONSIDER
THE WHOLE THING A FARCE AT THIS
POINT?
>> THE WAY PUBLIC OPINION GOES
SO FAR, IF YOU HOLD SOMETHING
THAT IS NOT FAIR, EGG GREEN YOU
TELL LIES TO THE PUBLIC YOU WILL
LOSE PUBLIC OPINION.
AS LONG AS MITCH McCONNELL
WILLING TO HAVE CLINTONESQUE
TYPE OF PROCEDURE, PROBLEM FOR
DEMOCRATS, IF HE HOLDS A TRUE,
SOLEMN, REAL HEARING, LETTING
DEMOCRATS FROM THE HOUSE COME
OVER TO TRY TO MAKE THEIR CASE,
IT WILL ACTUALLY SHOW THE
DICHOTOMY BETWEEN THIS RUSH TO
JUDGMENT, THIS HORRIBLE EFFORT
IN THE HOUSE.
CHARLES: CONGRESSMAN ANDY BIGGS,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN.