Brenda Lawrence: Trump Used the Security of the U.S. as a ‘Bargaining Chip for His Own Personal Gain’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Right now ░░░░░░░░ of state Mike Pompeo ░░░░░░░░ in Greece This is ░░░░░░░░ course hours after he ░░░░░░░░ a house subpoena to ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine documents This is ░░░░░░░░ third time the secretary ░░░░░░░░ failed to meet deadlines ░░░░░░░░ this week he accused ░░░░░░░░ of intimidating and bullying ░░░░░░░░ Department officials Brenda Lawrence ░░░░░░░░ with us She sits ░░░░░░░░ the house clover sight ░░░░░░░░ committee I want to ░░░░░░░░ your reaction from the ░░░░░░░░ deadline from the secretary ░░░░░░░░ what you and Congress ░░░░░░░░ prepared to do about ░░░░░░░░ to try to get ░░░░░░░░ to hand it over ░░░░░░░░ have requested information We ░░░░░░░░ now issuing subpoenas This ░░░░░░░░ one of the greatest ░░░░░░░░ in all of this ░░░░░░░░ process is that we ░░░░░░░░ required and given the ░░░░░░░░ as Congress to have ░░░░░░░░ on all of the ░░░░░░░░ agencies including the executive ░░░░░░░░ And we have seen ░░░░░░░░ Administration led by this ░░░░░░░░ just thumb his nose ░░░░░░░░ You know Giuliani we ░░░░░░░░ asked for all of ░░░░░░░░ records We ve subpoenaed ░░░░░░░░ asked for the records ░░░░░░░░ the Vice President And ░░░░░░░░ know I hear from ░░░░░░░░ sides I ve had ░░░░░░░░ hall meetings and some ░░░░░░░░ will say well you ░░░░░░░░ you just keep going ░░░░░░░░ him nothing sticks He ░░░░░░░░ t comply and he ░░░░░░░░ it s as if ░░░░░░░░ s untouchable We are ░░░░░░░░ focused and serious about ░░░░░░░░ investigation because this the ░░░░░░░░ and the information that ░░░░░░░░ have shows that he ░░░░░░░░ the security and the ░░░░░░░░ relationships that we are ░░░░░░░░ to have for the ░░░░░░░░ of our country as ░░░░░░░░ bargaining chip for his ░░░░░░░░ personal gain That is ░░░░░░░░ acceptable So the subpoenas ░░░░░░░░ continue to go out ░░░░░░░░ you know we re ░░░░░░░░ to have to engage ░░░░░░░░ courts I sit on ░░░░░░░░ We have taken the ░░░░░░░░ to appear and comply ░░░░░░░░ the courts Are you ░░░░░░░░ at all as you ░░░░░░░░ you were at town ░░░░░░░░ this week and you ░░░░░░░░ to constituents that there ░░░░░░░░ a fatigue that could ░░░░░░░░ place here People want ░░░░░░░░ talk about they want ░░░░░░░░ talk about health care ░░░░░░░░ want to talk about ░░░░░░░░ They want to talk ░░░░░░░░ gun control Are those ░░░░░░░░ going to get lost ░░░░░░░░ all that impeachment talks ░░░░░░░░ my town hall meeting ░░░░░░░░ made sure and every ░░░░░░░░ across this country we ░░░░░░░░ the American people to ░░░░░░░░ we the Democrats in ░░░░░░░░ house have passed legislation ░░░░░░░░ immigration for the dream ░░░░░░░░ We have passed legislation ░░░░░░░░ reauthorizing violence against women ░░░░░░░░ have passed gun control ░░░░░░░░ for background checks and ░░░░░░░░ re sitting in Mitch ░░░░░░░░ s graveyard Literal LE ░░░░░░░░ is not conducting any ░░░░░░░░ So it troubles me ░░░░░░░░ I what are the ░░░░░░░░ statement Congress you re ░░░░░░░░ doing anything We are ░░░░░░░░ are passing legislation When ░░░░░░░░ go back we will ░░░░░░░░ the issue of prescription ░░░░░░░░ As a democratic caucus ░░░░░░░░ for us we are ░░░░░░░░ forward but we re ░░░░░░░░ holding this president accountable ░░░░░░░░ cannot put our head ░░░░░░░░ the sand as our ░░░░░░░░ colleagues and say nothing ░░░░░░░░ happening here But pay ░░░░░░░░ because we are consistently ░░░░░░░░ continually passing bills but ░░░░░░░░ McConnell has refused as ░░░░░░░░ leader of the Senate ░░░░░░░░ bring any bill to ░░░░░░░░ floor So here we ░░░░░░░░ So it appears that ░░░░░░░░ is happening but the ░░░░░░░░ but you know we ░░░░░░░░ the term stay woke ░░░░░░░░ m asking America to ░░░░░░░░ up and look at ░░░░░░░░ s happening with the ░░░░░░░░ process because all we ░░░░░░░░ about are investigations We ░░░░░░░░ required by the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ me ask you this ░░░░░░░░ a former U S ░░░░░░░░ from Utah Mia love ░░░░░░░░ she has spoken to ░░░░░░░░ lot of members in ░░░░░░░░ house including representative will ░░░░░░░░ Here is what she ░░░░░░░░ from him He finds ░░░░░░░░ of the issues some ░░░░░░░░ the text messages disturbing ░░░░░░░░ he also feels as ░░░░░░░░ and I think it ░░░░░░░░ fair to say the ░░░░░░░░ have completely been left ░░░░░░░░ of the process the ░░░░░░░░ inquiry They re not ░░░░░░░░ of that conversation at ░░░░░░░░ So they re saying ░░░░░░░░ we want to have ░░░░░░░░ power we want to ░░░░░░░░ though things It s ░░░░░░░░ so say we should ░░░░░░░░ involved and it should ░░░░░░░░ transparent so take a ░░░░░░░░ on the floor Do ░░░░░░░░ feel that in any ░░░░░░░░ Republicans are being shut ░░░░░░░░ No because on every ░░░░░░░░ there are reps as ░░░░░░░░ on the Intel committee ░░░░░░░░ the oversight on judiciary ░░░░░░░░ you watch those hearings ░░░░░░░░ sea pointed questions from ░░░░░░░░ Republican Party So it ░░░░░░░░ ingenuous to say they ░░░░░░░░ being leave out The ░░░░░░░░ Pelosi the speaker of ░░░░░░░░ House has very clear ░░░░░░░░ wants to make sure ░░░░░░░░ all the facts are ░░░░░░░░ there when we take ░░░░░░░░ vote You can say ░░░░░░░░ don t have enough ░░░░░░░░ to vote on this ░░░░░░░░ you haven t proven ░░░░░░░░ point So we are ░░░░░░░░ very supportive of that ░░░░░░░░ on oversight We will ░░░░░░░░ with the litany of ░░░░░░░░ and rules that have ░░░░░░░░ been complied with in ░░░░░░░░ office of the president ░░░░░░░░ dishary will continue the ░░░░░░░░ We have Intel that ░░░░░░░░ going to be the ░░░░░░░░ right now and we ░░░░░░░░ going to move forward ░░░░░░░░ he Republicans are disingenuous ░░░░░░░░ they say they re ░░░░░░░░ involved We cannot convene ░░░░░░░░ hearing unless there s ░░░░░░░░ membership of every committee ░░░░░░░░ Thank you for tale ░░░░░░░░ time with us today ░░░░░░░░ Lawrence Thank you so ░░░░░░░░