♪ ♪
>> STEPHEN: WELCOME BACK.
MY FIRST GUEST IS A CONGRESSWOMAN FROM CALIFORNIA
KNOWN FOR HER TOUGH QUESTIONING IN CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS.
YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE A FEW OF THESE MOMENTS.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN OREO IS?
AAN OREO?
NO AN REO.
WOULD YOU COMMIT TO THE C.D.C.
USING THE EXISTING AUTHORITY TO PAY FOR DIAGNOSTIC B TESTING
FREE TO EVERY AMERICAN REGARDLESS OF INSURANCE?
>> WE'RE GOING TO MAKE EVERYTHING EVERYBODY CAN DO --
>> NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
WHAT IS THE COST OF A FIRST CLASS POSTAGE STAMP.
>> 55 CENTS.
JUST WANTED TO CHECK.
HOW ABOUT TO MAIL A POSTCARD?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
>> Stephen: WELCOME CONGRESSWOMAN PORTER.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I HAVE TO WATCH THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS JUST TO
SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
OFTEN I HAVE IT ON MUTE.
>> YOU'RE NOT MISSING MUCH.
>> Stephen: WHEN I SEE IT'S YOU, I TAKE IT OFF MUTE BECAUSE
I KNOW THAT YOU USUALLY HAVE A CLEAR POINT OF VIEW AND YOU
DON'T TAKE ANY B.S.
WHEN YOU KNOW SOMEBODY HAS BEEN OBFUSCATING, ARE YOU JUST
SALIVATING TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS OUT?
>> WELL, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S OFTEN NOT SO MUCH THAT THEY ARE
UNTRUTHFUL IS THEY'RE BEING INCOMPETENT AND I THINK THAT'S
WHERE YEARS OF TEACHING STUDENTS REALLY COMES IN HANDY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE STUDENTS WHO CAME IN HUNG OVER,
UNPREPARED, DIDN'T DO THEIR HOMEWORK BECAUSE THAT'S AN AWFUL
LOT LIKE QUESTIONING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS.
WHEN I WAS TALKING WITH SECRETARY BEN CARSON, YOU KNOW,
I AM NO STRANGER TO PEOPLE NODDING ALONG AS IF THEY'RE
FOLLOWING ME AND HAVING NO IDEA AND THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR WHAT HE
WAS DOING.
>> Stephen: SOMETIMES YOUR QUESTIONING ACTUALLY SEEMS LIKE
A TEACHER, AND I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE LEARNED IT -- CORRECT ME IF
I'M WRONG -- FROM YOUR MENTOR, ELIZABETH WARREN, SEEN HERE.
I BELIEVE YOU'RE BEING PRESENTED A MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE OF SOME
KIND BY ELIZABETH WARREN.
>> THE HIGHLY COVETED BANKRUPTCY MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE.
>> Stephen: THIS IS IN LAW SCHOOL AND NOT IN BANKRUPTCY
COURT?
>> CORRECT, IN HARVARD LAW SCHOOL.
SHE WAS MY PROFESSOR FOR BANKRUPTCY CLASS.
I RECEIVED THE MEDAL BEATING OUT THE STUDENT WHO ACTUALLY
RECEIVED THE A PLUS.
I THINK I WAS HER FAVORITE BECAUSE I GOT THE MEDAL.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE BEST ADVICE SHE'S GIVEN YOU THEN AND
NOW THAT YOU'RE IN CONGRESS?
>> THE VERY BEST ADVICE SHE'S EVER GIVEN ME AS I'VE GONE
THROUGH MY CAREER THERE HAVE BEEN THINGS I HAVE WANTED TO DO
THAT HAVE NOT BEEN POSSIBLE AND SHE ALWAYS SAID DOORS ARE GOING
TO CLOSE AND OTHERS WILL OPEN, IT'S YOUR JOB TO BE WATCHING FOR
THEM OPENING AND YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO WALK
THROUGH.
BUT SHE HAS THIS CONCEPT THAT IS ONE OPPORTUNITY IS GONE, ANOTHER
ONE WILL COME FORWARD, SO NOT TO SPEND ANY TIME LAMENTING THE
PAST AND JUST BEING LOOKING FOR THE NEXT DOOR TO WALK THROUGH.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE KNOWN TO BE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S
VERY UNIQUE, YOU'RE THE ONLY SINGLE MOM IN CONGRESS RIGHT
NOW, AND WHAT IS IT -- YOU HAVE THREE KIDS, RIGHT?
>> YEAH, I THINK SO.
I MEAN -- >> Stephen: IT VARIES FROM DAY
TO DAY?
>> NO, IT REALLY DOES.
I HAVE A HIGH SCHOOLER, MIDDLE SCHOOLER AND AN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLER.
TODAY WAS THEIR FIRST DAY OF IN-PERSON EDUCATION, AND THE
HIGH SCHOOLER I TOOK, AND THE HIGH SCHOOLER CALLED ME FIVE
MINUTES LATER AND SAID COME GET HIM, YOU'RE HERET AT THE WRONG
DAY, WRONG TIME, WRONG PLACE, ALL THOSE THINGS.
MY MIDDLE SCHOOLER STARTED WALKING TO SCHOOL AND GOT LOST
DESPITE THE FACT HE'S GONE TO THAT SCHOOL SIX YEARS, AND I
HAVEN'T SEEN MIMI ELEMENTARY SCHOOLER SO I ASSUME SHE'S RUN
OFF TO MEXICO.
>> Stephen: YOU SEEM VERY RELAXED ABOUT IT.
>> THEY'RE LIKELY SUPERVISED CHILDREN.
>> Stephen: FREE RANGED.
LIGHTLY BUTTERED, LIKE HOW WE ALL THINK WE HAVE OUR TOAST.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S HARDER, WORKING IN CONGRESS OR BEING A
SINGLE MOM OF THREE BECAUSE I IMAGINE CONGRESS IS A LITTLE
HARD TO CONTROL AS WELL.
>> THE THREE CHILDREN WITH DEFINITELY TOUGHER.
THEY'RE TOUGHER ON ME.
I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A WITNESS THAT THE AS CLOSE TO AS
DIFFICULT AS ANY ONE OF MY CHILDREN WHEN THEY'RE BEHAVING.
>> Stephen: DO YOUR CHILDREN DEBATE YOU?
MINE DO.
>> THEY TROLL ME!
MY SON HAS A SIGN ON HIS DOOR THAT SAYS ZERO EMISSIONS 2030 OR
DO NOT ENTER.
>> Stephen: NICE.
NICE.
NOW YOU ARE SPONSORING A NEW BILL IN CONGRESS THAT
STRENGTHENED CONGRESS' POWER TO CHECK THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND
PREVENTS ABUSES OF POWER BY THE PRESIDENT.
IS THAT INSPIRED BY ANYONE IN PARTICULAR, MA'AM?
>> NO, NO, JUST MY GENERAL CONCERN ABOUT EXECUTIVE POWER.
I MEAN, OF COURSE, IT'S INSPIRED BY TRUMP.
THIS IS A MAN WHO, YOU KNOW, I THINK, WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE
EXPANDING THE ROLE OF EXECUTIVE POWER BUT THEY'RE USING IT
RELATIVELY COMPETENTLY, IT SEEMS OKAY, BUT HERE WE HAVE SOMEONE
EXPANDING THE ROLE OF EXECUTIVE POWER AND MAKING A MESS OF IT.
I REALLY DO THINK THERE IS A POINT HERE THAT'S NOT JUST ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE ROLE OF CONGRESS IN
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL SAY WE'RE
THREE CO-EQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.
MALARKEY, WE ARE NOT THREE CO-EQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH IS THE PREEMINENT BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT
AND THOSE OTHER PEOPLE, THE PRESIDENT, THE SUPREME COURT,
THEY ARE SUBSERVIENT TO US BECAUSE WE ARE THE BRANCH THAT
ARE CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE, AND THAT'S EXACTLY THOUSAND THE
FOUNDERS INTENDED IT TO BE.
OR MAYBE I TELL MYSELF THAT BECAUSE I'M A LOWLY HOUSE MEMBER
BUT IT WORKS FOR ME.
>> Stephen: SURE, MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER.
BUT FOR YOUR BILL TO HAVE EFFECT, A PRESIDENT HAS TO SIGN
IT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ODDS ARE DONALD TRUMP WOULD SIGN THE BILL
LIMITING HIS OWN POWER?
>> NONE.
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT JOE BIDEN?
DO YOU THINK JOE BIDEN WOULD SIGN A BILL LIKE THIS?
BECAUSE I HAVE ASKED JOE BIDEN.
I ASKED OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, NOT ONLY
THIS TIME BUT MRS. CLINTON AND THEN BACK IN 2008 WOULD YOU GIVE
UP ANY POWER ESTABLISHED BY THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENT OR GRABBED OR
ACCUMULATED BY THE PRESIDENT, NO ONE EVER NAMED THE THING THEY
WOULD GIVE UP.
>> NO, BECAUSE IF YOU ASK SOMEBODY, HI, CAN I HAVE HALF
YOUR OREOS, THEY WILL SAY THE SAME THING, NO, I WANT THEM ALL.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT ASKING THE PRESIDENT.
IT'S ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DEMANDING RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT,
AND THAT MEANS REALLOCATING AND MAKING SURE THINGS LIKE THE
POWER TO DECLARE WAR, THE POWER OF THE PURSE, THAT THESE THINGS
ARE APPROPRIATELY CONGRESSIONAL POWERS, SO THE PEOPLE NEED TO
BRING THE PRESSURE ON THE PRESIDENT.
I DON'T THINK ANY PRESIDENT WOULD WILLFULLY CHOOSE TO GIVE
UP POWER.
BUT THAT'S NOT THEIR CHOICE.
IT'S OUR DECISION ABOUT HOW TO ALLOCATE THIS POWER, THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE'S DECISION.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK CONGRESS DOESN'T FLEX HIS
MUSCLES ENOUGH?
>> I THINK OUR MUSCLES ARE DOWNRIGHT FLABBY.
I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY BEEN ILL LOSILLUSTRATIVE FOR THE AMEN
PEOPLE.
THEY SEE THESE TWEETS AND THEY ALL SAY DO SOMETHING.
DON'T TELL ME WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS DOING WRONG DO, SOMETHING
ABOUT IT.
TBUT THE TRUTH IS WE'VE ALLOCATD SO MUCH POWER TO THE EXECUTIVE
IT'S HARD FOR US TO TAKE ACTION.
SOME OF IT THE PRESIDENT'S USURPED AND SOME OF IT CONGRESS
HAS GIVEN AWAY, SO IT'S HARD TO BALANCE.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE FIRST POWER YOU SAY I DON'T NEED THIS
ONE, IF YOU GET TO SIT IN THE CHAIR.
>> I THINK WE NEED TO ALLOCATE MORE POWER TO CONGRESS AWAY FROM
THE PRESIDENT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE OUGHT TO HAVE SOLELY A NATIONAL
SECURITY FRAME OF, SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE THE
DIVERSITY OF THE COUNTRY DEBATING THE ISSUE WILL GET US
TO A BETTER BALANCE THAN ONE PERSON MAKING THOSE DECISIONS
BECAUSE THEY NIGHT BRING, SAY, RACISM OR MAYBE XENOPHOBIA INTO
THEIR DECISION-MAKING.
>> Stephen: WELL, CONGRESSWOMAN PORTER, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: AND, PLEASE, CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM THE MOST
REASONABLE HELL.
CONGRESSWOMAN KATIE PORTER, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH CBS SPORTS STAR TONY ROMO.
♪ ♪