Tom Reed: ‘We’re in a Good Position’ to Maintain Control of Congress

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Welcome back ░░░░░░░░ m poppy Harlow in ░░░░░░░░ York And he is ░░░░░░░░ a maximum of 150 ░░░░░░░░ in federal prison if ░░░░░░░░ of the fraud charges ░░░░░░░░ him This morning though ░░░░░░░░ York congressman Chris Collins ░░░░░░░░ not only refusing to ░░░░░░░░ down he is campaigning ░░░░░░░░ re election in November ░░░░░░░░ he will be cleared ░░░░░░░░ all of the insider ░░░░░░░░ charges in front of ░░░░░░░░ This is after he ░░░░░░░░ tipped his son to ░░░░░░░░ stock in an Australian ░░░░░░░░ company that he sat ░░░░░░░░ the board of a ░░░░░░░░ called innate immuno therapeutics ░░░░░░░░ of adverse news of ░░░░░░░░ clinical trying being released ░░░░░░░░ to the congressman s ░░░░░░░░ The charges levied against ░░░░░░░░ are meritless and I ░░░░░░░░ mount a vigorous defense ░░░░░░░░ court to clear my ░░░░░░░░ My next guest was ░░░░░░░░ yesterday serving with him ░░░░░░░░ the house subcommittee And ░░░░░░░░ remains on the committee ░░░░░░░░ Colin was taken off ░░░░░░░░ it by the speaker ░░░░░░░░ Ryan With me is ░░░░░░░░ reed of New York ░░░░░░░░ you for being with ░░░░░░░░ Thanks for having me ░░░░░░░░ You represent constituents in ░░░░░░░░ York in the 23rd ░░░░░░░░ Collins was in the ░░░░░░░░ district still is Should ░░░░░░░░ resign Well you know ░░░░░░░░ s obviously up to ░░░░░░░░ and his family to ░░░░░░░░ through these difficult decisions ░░░░░░░░ they re going to ░░░░░░░░ to face And these ░░░░░░░░ serious allegations and I ░░░░░░░░ the seriousness of these ░░░░░░░░ And ultimately that decision ░░░░░░░░ to rest with him ░░░░░░░░ his family HARLOW So ░░░░░░░░ know it was and ░░░░░░░░ remains legal for a ░░░░░░░░ U S member of ░░░░░░░░ to sit on the ░░░░░░░░ of a publicly traded ░░░░░░░░ to profit from that ░░░░░░░░ That s what he ░░░░░░░░ doing And a lot ░░░░░░░░ Americans myself included are ░░░░░░░░ this morning really Really ░░░░░░░░ can happen Do you ░░░░░░░░ it should be legal ░░░░░░░░ Well you know as ░░░░░░░░ look at our ethics ░░░░░░░░ always open to additional ░░░░░░░░ And we did a ░░░░░░░░ step in the Stock ░░░░░░░░ which did a lot ░░░░░░░░ curtail a lot of ░░░░░░░░ abuses from before Open ░░░░░░░░ the improvements going forward ░░░░░░░░ at the end of ░░░░░░░░ day you know this ░░░░░░░░ why there s processes ░░░░░░░░ place We have the ░░░░░░░░ Ethics Committee looking at ░░░░░░░░ issue as well as ░░░░░░░░ And I ll tell ░░░░░░░░ that s where these ░░░░░░░░ go HARLOW I hear ░░░░░░░░ but the House Ethics ░░░░░░░░ said last November there ░░░░░░░░ reason to believe there ░░░░░░░░ action of concern here ░░░░░░░░ think it s really ░░░░░░░░ of a straight question ░░░░░░░░ or no answer Should ░░░░░░░░ be legal for a ░░░░░░░░ member of Congress to ░░░░░░░░ on the board of ░░░░░░░░ publicly traded company and ░░░░░░░░ from that position REED ░░░░░░░░ I oh I think ░░░░░░░░ s a fair question ░░░░░░░░ Especially when you serve ░░░░░░░░ the Health Committee that ░░░░░░░░ oversee this stuff REED ░░░░░░░░ know obviously that s ░░░░░░░░ fair question And that ░░░░░░░░ of conflict of interest ░░░░░░░░ don t think it ░░░░░░░░ allowed under existing rules ░░░░░░░░ to profit from your ░░░░░░░░ as a member of ░░░░░░░░ We ll take a ░░░░░░░░ at that But obviously ░░░░░░░░ type of conflict of ░░░░░░░░ we need to do ░░░░░░░░ better job in Congress ░░░░░░░░ send the message to ░░░░░░░░ people that we re ░░░░░░░░ sure that the integrity ░░░░░░░░ the House is in ░░░░░░░░ and that no one ░░░░░░░░ above the law HARLOW ░░░░░░░░ should a sitting member ░░░░░░░░ Congress be able to ░░░░░░░░ on the board of ░░░░░░░░ publicly traded company REED ░░░░░░░░ think there s a ░░░░░░░░ question there that needs ░░░░░░░░ be answered HARLOW What ░░░░░░░░ your answer What s ░░░░░░░░ answer Yes or no ░░░░░░░░ I would agree with ░░░░░░░░ I would agree with ░░░░░░░░ That is an area ░░░░░░░░ reform that needs to ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW So no REED ░░░░░░░░ no That s not ░░░░░░░░ I said No I ░░░░░░░░ yes You know having ░░░░░░░░ type of conflict of ░░░░░░░░ is something HARLOW Right ░░░░░░░░ right I m saying ░░░░░░░░ m saying are you ░░░░░░░░ no they should not ░░░░░░░░ a sitting member of ░░░░░░░░ should not be allowed ░░░░░░░░ sit on the board ░░░░░░░░ a publicly traded company ░░░░░░░░ Yeah that makes some ░░░░░░░░ to me HARLOW Okay ░░░░░░░░ As reforms go forward.”