Dem Judiciary Committee Chair Subpoenas Full Mueller Report; Dem Judiciary Committee Chair Subpoenas Full Mueller Report
PAUL: Oh, there is a showdown brewing between House Democrats and the Justice Department it seems. House Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler, subpoenaed Attorney General William Barr for a full unredacted version of special counsel Robert Muller's report. Now, Barr previously said, he would not provide the full report to Congress. Arguing, he can't legally turn over grand jury information. In the meantime, there are Democrats who are calling for impeachment proceedings against the president. An issue that is really divided in this party. Let's talk to democratic congresswoman from Pennsylvania, Madeleine Dean. Congresswoman, thank you so much. She sits on the House Judiciary Committee, by the way. I want to read to you something that 2020 democratic candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted earlier yesterday. She said the severity of the misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the president of the United States." Do you agree that has to happen?</s>REP. MADELEINE DEAN, (D-PA): Well, those words tell you where we are, Christi. We're at a grave moment. The Mueller report reveals a tremendous number of turns and twists where the president or his colleagues or his associates attempted to obstruct justice and attempted to interfere with this investigation into Russia's interference. So, I understand and take the senator at her word. She's expressing the severity and the seriousness of what's going on. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I'm determined that we will do our job. Chairman Nadler has charted a course for us to get the entire Mueller report and all of its supporting documents so that we can see all of the evidence. Right now, we have a very difficult read here with the Mueller report, but it is redacted. And there's probably even more troubling information in the redacted version. So, we've got to do our job and collect the evidence and tell the American people exactly what happened.</s>PAUL: OK. So, are you saying that you are not yet ready to push for impeachment?</s>DEAN: I think we're not at that spot yet. I think, the judiciary actually has the awesome responsibility to do the investigation, and that's what we're going to do. Impeachment is not yet on the table, but it is certainly not off the table.</s>PAUL: So, what do you need to see in that report that would convince you to pull the impeachment lever, so to speak?</s>DEAN: Actually, just a full display of the report. Anytime, there's shadowing or a charade that is going on here about what actually took place, I don't think it would be wise to move forward. What we need to do is have all of the facts. And then, when we have all of the facts, we would move forward. But I think, until we have everything, America deserves the entire report. Attorney General Barr has mischaracterized the report. He has misled the American people. And what it -- what our job is, is to make sure we get -- we shine a light of truth on exactly what happened.</s>PAUL: So, if you sit down or if Attorney General Barr sits down in front of you, what do you want to ask him specifically?</s>DEAN: Why would he have shrouded the report? Why would he had put together a scant summary? Why would he have held a press conference about nothing, because he didn't even release the report? Why is it that he doesn't seem to be serving in the public interest as he promised during his testimony before the Senate confirmation committee? Why does he appear to be serving the president's best interests?</s>PAUL: There's a phone call that's going to be made on Monday, we understand, amongst democratic leaders to discuss the strategy moving forward here. So, we have -- you know, Elizabeth Warren and several others calling for impeachment already. We know that there are other Democrats; Speaker Pelosi, in fact, not quite ready, as you are, to jump onboard that train. And Democrats who have ardently and heartily tried to quash the idea of impeachment. They say they want to focus on legislative priorities on investigations on the 2020 election. Realistically, how much support do you think Democrats will have for impeachment?</s>DEAN: Well, on the Monday call, I don't know. We are diverse, broad caucus, but we are a brand-new majority. And take a look at what's happening with this majority. We are doing robust oversight and investigation of an administration that had no oversight for the past two years. So, what I expect on that call is our leadership will talk about our plan to methodically do the oversight that we have to do. But at the same time, and I don't think this should be lost on the American people, as grave as this situation is, we also have other responsibilities of substantive legislation. Legislation that we will pass and that have already passed. And then, it is up to the Senate to take up. But I'm certain this will be a robust conversation with the leadership, about next steps, and what the role of oversight from various committees are, but most especially from judiciary.</s>PAUL: Speaking of next steps, the Mueller report -- despite whatever it said about President Trump itself, one of the big takeaways from the Mueller report was the fact that it proclaims Russia did, indeed, attempt to manipulate the 2016 election. What is Congress prepared to do to make sure it doesn't happen in 2020?</s>DEAN: I'm glad you raised that. Because, isn't it stunning that this administration, knowing that, has never spoken up and said America must never be attacked in that way again? And in fact, what the president tried to do, as you read in this report is over and over again, try to thwart the investigation. We know that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in sweeping ways, as Mueller says. And we will legislatively make sure that we take some action. But I think the absence of the administration's outrage about that is incredibly telling.</s>PAUL: But the absence of their -- of their rage about it, doesn't change the fact that there is work to be done in 2020. Is there some sort of plan crafted in Congress to keep it from happening again next time around?</s>DEAN: Absolutely. We're crafting legislation around that. But again, take a look at what happened here. The administration welcomed the interference by Russia. Notice what Russia is doing right now.</s>PAUL: Right.</s>DEAN: They are analyzing where this Mueller report stands. Because they are going to do it again. Make no mistake about that. And there are other bad actors that will want to do the same thing. We will fortify our election process in a very complicated world. But it is stunning that the leader of the free world, this American president has called out this problem loudly and clearly. And, in fact, he and his associates spent a lot of time meeting with the Russians.</s>PAUL: All right. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, appreciate your time this morning on this holiday weekend. Thank you for being here.</s>DEAN: Thank you, Christi.</s>BLACKWELL: An overnight explosion, sends a group of firefighters to the hospital. We have an update on their conditions.</s>PAUL: Also, the medical examiner in South Carolina, says a birth defect is what caused the death of a South Carolina student who died after a fight in her classroom. An attorney for the girl's family says, there's still a lot to investigate here.