>> YEAH, TOP OF THE NEWS,
ELLISON, THANK YOU, ARTHEL.
ARTHEL: ERIC, IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY MARKS BIG GAMBLE AS THEY
HEAD TO 2020 ELECTION, SPEAKER
PELOSI SAYS SHE'S NOT CONCERNED
IF THE PARTY LOSES MAJORITY IN
THE HOUSE OVER IT.
>> NEXT ELECTION CYCLE, DO YOU
HAVE ANY ANXIETY AT ALL OF ANY
OF THE TOUGH THAT WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT OR ANYTHING THAT WE ARE
NOT TALKING ABOUT IMPACTING YOUR
ABILITY TO HOLD CONTROL OF THE
HOUSE IN 2020?
>> DOESN'T MATTER.
>> IT DOESN'T MATTER?
>> OUR FIRST RESPONSIBILITY SO
TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE
CONSTITUTION.
>> JOINING US IS NOW CALIFORNIA
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN, MEMBER
OF THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND
REFORM COMMITTEE, CONGRESSMAN,
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
ARE YOU 100% SURE THAT
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY IS THE WAY
TO GO AND NOW IS THE TIME TO DO
IT?
>> I AM, I CAME OUT FOR AN
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY 2 OR 3
MONTHS AGO, I SAW FIRSTHAND ON
THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THIS
PRESIDENT AND THIS
ADMINISTRATION STONE-WALLING
EVERY CONSTITUTIONAL ATTEMPT TO
PRODUCE DOCUMENTS AND WITNESSES
TO DO APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATIONS
TO THE POINT WHERE KELLYANNE
CONWAY SAID AT ONE POINT TO THE
EFFECT THAT LET ME KNOW WHEN
THEY COME TO TAKE ME AWAY IN
HANDCUFFS, THAT'S NOT HOW
AMERICANS WORK.
ARTHEL: WHEN CRITICS SAY
DEMOCRATS ALL OVER THE PLACE,
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ANY REASON,
WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM, WHAT IS
THE PARTY'S CONCISE REASON FOR
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY?
>> WELL, WE HAVE SEEN IN THE
LAST WEEK SHOULD SHOCK EVERY
AMERICAN WHERE A PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES IS USING THE
POWER OF THE OFFICE TO INFLUENCE
A FOREIGN LEADER TO DIG UP DIRT
ON A POLITICAL OPPONENT TO
ENHANCE HIS REELECTION
OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO DOING
THIS AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR
CONTINUED SUPPORT OF UKRAINE AND
ITS EFFORTS TO FIGHT RUSSIA,
THIS IS BEYOND THE PAIL AND I
BELIEVE THAT EVERY AMERICAN
READS THAT TRANSCRIPT, THE
MEMORANDUM OF THE PHONE
CONVERSATION COUPLED WITH THE
WHISTLEBLOWER'S REPORT, YOU CAN
COME TO KNOW OTHER CONCLUSION IF
YOU HAVE AN IODA OF GREAT
MATTERING BETWEEN YOUR EARS.
>> IS THE PURPOSE TO GAIN
SUBPOENA POWER, SECURE
DEPOSITIONS, GET THE COMPLETE
UNREDACTED TRANSCRIPT OF THE
JULY 25TH PHONE CALL BETWEEN
PRESIDENT ZELENSKI AND TRUMP
THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED AND
BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ADAM
SCHIFF SAID THEY WILL INTERVIEW
THE ACTUAL WHISTLEBLOWER, IS
THAT THE PURPOSE OR ISISM --
IMPEACHMENT THE ULTIMATE GOAL?
>> THE PURPOSE TO GET DOCUMENTS
AND INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE
THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE
TO SEE, AS WE HAVE SEEN IN MORE
AND MORE NEWS REPORTS, THE
SERVER FROM THE SITUATION ROOM
WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HOUSE
INFORMATION REGARDING THE
MEMORANDUMS ON THE PHONE CALLS,
MANY OF THEM WERE BEING
TRANSFERRED OVER TO A
HIGHLY-CLASSIFIED SERVER AS
WELL.
ARTHEL: YOU KNOW THE PRESIDENT
-- YOU KNOW THE PRESIDENT SAYS
HE DID THAT BECAUSE THERE WERE
TOO MANY LEAKERS IN THE WHITE
HOUSE, HE FELT THE NEED TO
SECURE ALL OF THESE
CONVERSATIONS WITH FOREIGN
LEADERS?
>> WELL, WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO
IS ALSO CALLING THIS
WHISTLEBLOWER WHO DID EVERYTHING
BY THE BOOK A POTENTIAL SPY AND
WE ALSO SAW WHAT HE SUGGESTED
SHOULD HAPPEN TO SPIES, A
COMPLETELY UNETHICAL AND IMMORAL
FOR OUR PRESIDENT TO DO THIS.
ARTHEL: WHERE COULD YOU GO WRONG
IF INVESTIGATIONS BECOME TOO
BROAD, DOES THIS PLAY INTO THE
PRESIDENT'S CLAIM THAT THIS IS A
WITCH HUNT, DO DEMOCRATIC
LAWMAKERS HAVE DISCIPLINE TO
CONTROL SCOPE OF IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY?
>> BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS
THAT WE ARE HAVING WITH
LEADERSHIP I'M VERY CONFIDENT
THAT SPEAKER PELOSI AND THE
COMMITTEE CHAIRS ARE GOING STAY
FOCUSED ON WHAT TRANSPIRED WITH
THE UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT AS WELL
THE COVER-UP F OTHER ITEMS COME
IN THEY WILL TAKE A SECONDARY
STANCE TO, I THINK, AGAIN
UKRAINIAN SITUATION.
>> I'M SURE YOU'RE WELL AWARE
THAT THE NATION IS PRACTICALLY
SPLIT ON THE IDEA OF IMPEACHING
PRESIDENT TRUMP, 49% APPROVE,
46% DISAPPROVE WHICH IS
ACCORDING TO NPR/PBS POLL, IF
YOU THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD
HARM REELECTION CHANCES, SHOULD
YOU CONSIDER THE CHANCES OF THE
EXACT OPPOSITE EFFECT?
>> WELL, TWO THINGS ON THAT,
FIRST, TO ME THIS ISN'T A
POLITICAL QUESTION, I TOOK AN
OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES AS DID THE
PRESIDENT.
AND WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO
HONOR THAT OATH ON BEHALF OF ALL
AMERICANS, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE
AN OBLIGATION TO DO THEISM
PEACHMENT INQUIRY FOR THAT
REASON ALONE, SECOND, IF YOU GO
BACK IN HISTORY AND WHEN YOU
LOOK AT WHEN IMPEACHMENT
PROCEEDINGS STARTED AGAINST
NIXON, HE HAD APPROVAL RATING
NORTH OF 50% AND LESS THAN
ONE-THIRD OF AMERICANS SUPPORTED
IMPEACHMENT BUT AS THE EVIDENCE
CAME OUT, AS THE FACTS CAME OUT,
IT WAS CLEAR THAT WE HAD A
PRESIDENT WHO VIOLATED HIS OATH
TO THE CONSTITUTION AND I
BELIEVE AS WE DO THIS
INVESTIGATION AMERICANS WILL SEE
EXACTLY WHAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS
BEEN UP TO AND WILL HOLD HIM
ACCOUNTABLE FOR VIOLATING HIS
OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION.
ARTHEL: THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
SUPPORTERS WILL BLAME DEMOCRATS
FOR CREATING CIRCUS AND FURTHER
DIVIDING A DIVIDED COUNTRY, WHAT
DO YOU SAY TO THAT?
>> FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TO LOOK
AT WHAT IS BEING DONE IN
CONGRESS, CONGRESS TO DATE HAS
PASSED 300 BILLS, VAST MAJORITY
BIPARTISAN, YET ONLY 15% HAVE
BEEN PASSED BY THE SENATE, WHEN
WE TALK ABOUT WHAT IS PREVENTING
THE WORK OF CONGRESS IMPACKING
OUR COUNTRY AND OUR COMMUNITIES,
IT CLEARLY SITS AT THE FEET OF
MITCH MCCONNELL, TO PUT THIS IN
PERSPECTIVE -- ARTHEL: HOW SO,
SIR?
>> I'M SORRY?
>> IT CLEARLY SITS TAT FEET OF
MITCH MCCONNELL, HOW SO?
>> THE FACT THAT HE HAS ONLY
BROUGHT BILLS TO THE FLOOR OF
THE SENATE SUCH THAT ONLY 15% OF
THE BILL THAT IS HAVE PASSED THE
HOUSE HAVE PASSED THE SENATE YET
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE BILLS
PASSED IN THE HOUSE HAVE BEEN
BIPARTISAN.
LET'S TALK ABOUT BACKGROUND
CHECKS, 90 PLUS PERCENT OF
AMERICANS WANT BACKGROUND
CHECKS, WHY HAS MITCH MCCONNELL
PUT THAT ON THE FLOOR?
>> OKAY, I'M RUNNING OUT OF
TIME, YOU POINT OUT THINGS THAT
REALLY ARE CONCERNING TO THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC, WITH THIS
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY CONSUMING
ALL THE OXYGEN THERE IN DC AND
IN THE COUNTRY, I MEAN, CAN WORK
REALLY GET DONE IN THE MIDST OF
ALL OF THIS?
>> WELL, THAT'S MY POINT, IT CAN
BE DONE, AND IT IS BEING DONE,
AND WE CAN DO MULTIPLE THINGS
INCLUDING THE INVESTIGATION OF
VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES AS WELL AS PAST
LEGISLATION AFFECTING OUR
COMMUNITY AND COUNTRY BUT WE
NEED A PARTNER IN THE SENATE AND
THAT MEANS MITCH MCCONNELL NEEDS
TO PUT ON THE FLOOR OF THE
SENATE LEGISLATION THAT HAS
PASSED THE HOUSE IN A BIPARTISAN
FASHION.
ARTHEL: AND YOU WOULD BE
COUNTING ON MITCH MCCONNELL'S
MAJORITY LEADER -- MAJORITY
MITCH MCCONNELL TO CALL A TRIAL
TO SANCTION YOUR IMPEACHMENT IF