JOINING US IS
CONGRESSMAN
KENNEDY.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK.
YOU WERE NOT READY TO CALL
FOR
IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS ON
PRESIDENT TRUMP LAST TIME.
WHERE DO YOU STAND NOW?
REP KENNEDY: CONGRESS HAS TO
BEGIN IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS.
I HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO READ
THE MUELLER REPORT IN ITS
ENTIRETY.
IT IS
EVIDENT, IF YOU ACTUALLY
READ THE REPORT, THAT THE
PRESIDENT, I BELIEVE, COMMITTED
MULTIPLE COUNTS OF OBSTRUCTION
OF JUSTICE.
ONCE YOU GET TO THAT
THRESHOLD,
IT FALLS ON CONGRESS TO
ESSENTIALLY UPHOLD OUR RESPONSE
REALTY TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE
CONSTITUTION.
I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS REQUIRED
AND THAT IS WHAT I INTEND TO DO.
TIM: THIS IS OBVIOUSLY
SIGNIFICANT.
I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT A CHANGE
OF HEART.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE
UNEQUIVOCALLY SAID THAT CONGRESS
SHOULD PROCEED WITH THE
IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS.
YOU SAID IT WAS BECAUSE YOU READ
THE MUELLER REPORT WHICH CAME
OUT APRIL 10.
REP KENNEDY:
THE REPORT IS
EXHAUSTED.
THE
FIRST PART DEALS WITH THE
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE WITH OUR
CAMPAIGN AND ELECTIONS.
IF YOU GO THROUGH IT, THERE IS
ALL SORTS OF NON-COMPLEMENT RATE
ASPECTS -- NON-COMPLEMENTARY
ASPECTS.
HOWEVER, THE SPECIAL COUNSEL
INDICATES THAT THERE WAS NO
CONSPIRACY BETWEEN THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT FROM RUSSIAN
INTERFERENCE.
THEY DO STATE EXPLICITLY THAT
THEY EXPECTED THEY WOULD
BENEFIT.
THE SECOND --
THE SECOND HALF OF THAT
REPORT IS ABOUT OBSTRUCTION.
AS YOU GO THROUGH IT, WHAT
THE
SPECIAL COUNSEL DETAILS, THEY
LAY OUT THE FACTS ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED.
THEY SAY THAT ON A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THERE IS
SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE TO INDICATE
THAT THE REQUIREMENTS TO PROVE
OBSTRUCTION HAVE BEEN MET.
WHEN YOU HEAR THAT, WHEN YOU
READ THAT, WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND
WHAT THAT SAYS, THAT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
ENGAGED IN MULTIPLE ASKED TO TRY
TO OBSTRUCT A FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION,
THEN I THINK OUR
HAND IS FORCED.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I TAKE
LIGHTLY.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I WISH
THAT ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS OR
ANY GIVEN -- MEMBER OF CONGRESS
WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
I KNOW THERE ARE STRONG FEELINGS
ABOUT THIS.
-- GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO GO
THROUGH.
I KNOW THERE ARE STRONG LEGS
ABOUT THIS.
-- FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.
WHEN YOU TRY TO EVADE VARIOUS
LEGAL ACTS, CONGRESS HAS TO BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
DID YOU WONDER ABOUT THIS NEW
POSITION?
MAYBE SHE IS WATCHING.
I HAVEN'T HAD THE CONVERSATION
WITH SPEAKER PELOSI YET.
I HAVEN'T HAD THE CONVERSATION
WITH HER YET.
I RESPECT HER OPINION ON THIS.
I RESPECT THE OPINION OF MY
COLLEAGUES.
ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR CAUCUS HAS
COME OUT IN FAVOR OF IMPEACHMENT
.
I RESPECT WHERE THEY ARE.
I RESPECT THOSE WHO HAVE NOT
QUITE GOTTEN THERE YET.
I WILL TALK TO OUR COLLEAGUES
ABOUT IT.
UNFORTUNATELY,
FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS A THRESHOLD
AND, HAVING HAD TIME TO READ THE
FULL REPORT AND
TALK TO MY
COLLEAGUES, I'M NOT SURE IT IS A
CLOSE CALL.
THERE IS A VAGUENESS ABOUT
THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
WOULD YOU WANTED TO START NEXT
WEEK?
IS IT SOMETHING YOU SEE STARTING
MONTHS FROM NOW?
A LOT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR IT TO
BEGIN.
WHEN YOU SAY I THINK WE NEED TO
DO THIS, DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO
DO IT NOW?
REP KENNEDY: FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE CROSSED
THAT THRESHOLD.
HE NEEDS TO BE HELD TO ACCOUNT.
I THINK WE SHOULD BEGIN AS
QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
I RESPECT THE FACT THAT THE
MAJORITY OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE
NOT QUITE THERE YET.
ULTIMATELY, THAT WILL BE UP TO
MY COLLEAGUES.
I RESPECT THEIR OPINION.
I WILL CONTINUE TO TALK TO THEM
AND TRY TO GIVE THEM THE
PERSPECTIVE I HAVE.
MUCH OF THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN
FOCUSED ON THIS IS WHAT HAS TO
BE DONE.
THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE PER
DIE READ THIS NOT AS A DEMOCRAT
TRYING TO GET A REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENT.
I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.
I THINK THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A
SPECIAL COUNSEL THAT IS DEEPLY
RESPECTIVE TO HIS SERVICE IN OUR
COUNTRY AND HAS ASSEMBLED THE
BEST TEAM IN MODERN AMERICAN
HISTORY AND COMES OUT WITH
SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS COMMITTED MULTIPLE
ACTS OF OBSTRUCTION, WHAT ELSE
ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DO?
SHOULD HE HAVE MADE THE CALL?
REP KENNEDY: YES.
WITHOUT QUESTION.
I DON'T THINK THAT IS EVEN
CLOSE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT MR.
MUELLER
DECIDED TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS OF
THE OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL MEMO
.
I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I WOULD ALSO COUNTER
RESPECTIVELY -- RESPECTFULLY
THAT THAT IS A MEMO.
THERE IS NO CASE LAW ON THIS.
IF YOU HAVE THOSE CONCERNS, I
WOULD HAVE -- THE ENTIRE POINT
OF THE SPECIAL COUNSEL IS TO TRY
TO REMOVE THIS FROM THE
POLITICAL PROCESS AND APPROACH
THIS AS OBJECTIVELY AS ONE CAN
WITH THE RESOURCES TO TRY TO
UNCOVER THE TRUTH.
COMING RIGHT UP TO THAT LINE AND
SAYING CONGRESS, FIGURE THIS
OUT, IS NOT -- IT MESSES
WITH
THE ENTIRE INTENT OF WHAT THE
SPECIAL COUNSEL IS SUPPOSED TO
BE ABOUT.
I HAVE TO PUSH BACK WHEN YOU
SAY IT IS NOT PARTISAN.
SPEAKER PELOSI DISAGREES ON
WHETHER YOU WOULD BELIEVE IT IS
PERCEIVED TO BE PARTISAN.
SAYING TRUMP IS GOADING US TO
IMPEACH HIM.
HE IS TAUNTING BECAUSE HE
DOESN'T REALLY CARE.
HE WANTS TO SOLIDIFY HIS BASE.
SHE WRONG ON THE POLITICS?
REP KENNEDY: I DON'T THINK SHE
IS WRONG.
RESPECTFULLY, I'M NOT
SO SURE IT
MATTERS.
THERE IS A REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUE
THAT HAS CALLED FOR IMPEACHMENT
AS WELL.
THE FACT THAT THIS HAS BEEN SO
FOCUSED ON DEMOCRATS, HOW DO YOU
COME TOGETHER AND IMPEACH THE
PRESIDENT?
THIS SHOULD NOT BE A DEMOCRATIC
INQUIRY.
THIS IS AN INQUIRY FROM MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS AS AN OATH TO
PROTECT THE UNITED STATES.
IF YOU READ THE REPORT, HE
COMMITTED OBSTRUCTION PERIOD.
HOW DO WE NOT HOLD THE PRESIDENT
ACCOUNTABLE?
FOR MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES,
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM THAT
BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS,
CERTAINLY DO NOT LIKE THE ACTS
-- THEY CERTAINLY DO NOT LIKE
THE ACTS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION.
I HOPE
THAT OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL WEEKS, I HOPE MR.
MUELLER'S TESTIMONY BEFORE
CONGRESS WILL DO SO.
THAT IS WHERE THIS COUNTRY
SHOULD ALSO GO.
NOT FOCUSING ON THE
POLITICALIZATION OF THIS AND
FOCUSING ON WHAT DEMOCRATS ARE
GOING TO DO.
ASK OUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES