CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

Interview

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SCIUTTO: Today we're kicking off a new monthly segment on this program where we interview Washington's game changers, the men and women, Republicans and Democrats, making history in the 116th United States Congress. In November Democrat Ilhan Omar of the great state of Minnesota became

the first Somali American to be elected to Congress. Ilhan and her family fled Somalia when she was just 8 years old due to that country's bloody civil war. They spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before finally making it here to the U.S.

HARLOW: It is remarkable. And that is why this picture is just so remarkable. This is Ilhan Omar returning with her father to the same Washington airport where they both arrived as refugees to this country 23 years ago.

Also this morning the "New York Times" made 27 special covers to recognize many of the new unique female voices now in the halls of Congress and she is one of them.

Joining us now is Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. She has just, I should note this morning, been appointed to the Foreign Affairs Committee. Thank you for joining us.

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D), MINNESOTA: Thank you, Poppy, for having me.

HARLOW: I remember interviewing you a few years ago when you were a local representative in my home state of Minnesota and thinking, is she going to go to Congress one day? And you did.

Let's talk about what you came in. You came in during a shutdown. You're dealing with the shutdown. You guys came in freshmen especially to change things. Are you frustrated at all with Democratic leadership at this point not willing to give any money for a border wall? Would you, like your fellow freshman Democrat Katie Hill, like to see some money toward a barrier to get an agreement and get the government back up and running?

OMAR: Absolutely not. I believe this is a manufactured crisis. And the president yet again is throwing a temper tantrum for his quest to get a racist, xenophobic big wall. I believe that the federal workers and the American people expect us to fund the government and make sure that government is operating and is open. And then they expect us to come back to the drawing board and have a conversation about what it looks like for us to protect the health and well being of Americans.

That conversation about immigration reform and having our immigration system be more humane, thinking about what border security and border protection should look like, those are conversations that we should have. And they are not conversations we are ready to have right now while the government is shutdown and we have over 800,000 federal employees not getting a paycheck.

HARLOW: I would just note a point of fact here before we move on that indeed we did see a record number of families illegally crossing the border in December, up 240 percent year over year. As you call it a manufactured crisis, some people will point to that number, although the overall numbers as you point out often are down.

OMAR: Well, I mean, right now -- right now what we are about to see is you know, over 30 million American families who rely on food stamps face serious insecurity. We are about to see our federal courts shut down because they will not have adequate funding. We are about to see our federal law enforcement agencies not have an opportunity to operate because of the shutdown.

We've already seen what's happening with our airports with TSA and air control traffic. There is no funding for Coast Guard members.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

[10:25:07] OMAR: And we know that even the president's Secret Service isn't able to collect a paycheck. They are all working without a paycheck. So this manufactured crisis is going to lead to a real crisis if this president and Mitch McConnell over in the Senate don't make an urgent decision to work with us.

SCIUTTO: Right.

OMAR: Reopen the government and come back a week or so and start the dialogue about what it looks like for us to deal with the humanitarian crisis that is happening at our border.

SCIUTTO: Congresswoman, one change you bring is your background, your faith. Congress voted down what had been an existing ban on wearing head scarves as you are now on the floor so that both you and fellow Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib could do so, could serve on the floor.

I just wonder, what message do you believe that sends to fellow Muslims in America particularly at a time when there are concerns about growing hostility among some Americans to members of the faith?

OMAR: Thank you for mentioning that. My sister Rashida doesn't actually wear the hijab. I'm the only one who wears a hijab. And it's really important to remember that within our Constitution there is not supposed to be a religious test constituted. And so I am excited for the opportunity to come walk into a body that recognizes that and was willing to vote to make sure that I am able to wear my hijab as I serve the people of Minnesota.

This sends a message about the strength of our Constitution. It sends a message about the religious liberties we get to enjoy in this country. And it sends a message about the kind of inclusive societies we can all live in.

SCIUTTO: Well, a positive one. We need to ask you about this. You tweeted, we're going to put this up on the screen, regarding Republican congressman -- Senator Lindsey Graham, I believe we have this tweet, saying they got him. He is compromised. And there it is.

I wonder if you would explain what you were talking about there. This has sparked a fair amount of criticism not just from Republicans. Can you explain that comment?

OMAR: So over the last three years, we have seen many times where Senator Lindsey Graham has told us how dangerous this president could be if he was given the opportunity to be in the White House. And all of a sudden he's made not only 180 turnaround, but a 360 turnaround. And so I am pretty sure that there is something happening with him whether it is, you know, something that has to do with his funding when it comes to running for office, whether it has something to do with the polling that they might have in his district, or whether it has to do with some sort of leadership within the Senate.

He is somehow compromised to no longer stand up for the truth and --

SCIUTTO: But that's quite --

OMAR: To make sure that he is fighting to protect the oath that he took in serving the American people.

SCIUTTO: But that's quite a charge to make. You say you're pretty sure based on what evidence? What facts? That's a remarkable comment to make about a sitting U.S. senator.

OMAR: The -- the evidence really is present to us. It's being presented to us in the way that he's behaving.

HARLOW: But that's not evidence. That's your opinion. But now as a sitting member of Congress you would have tweeted they got him on this. Again, just based on what evidence, Congresswoman?

OMAR: My tweet was just an opinion based on what I believe to be visible to me. And I'm pretty sure there are lots of Americans who agree on this.

HARLOW: I do want to ask you also about your comments on Israel, to remind people what you tweeted about Israel in 2012 during the offensive in Gaza. You wrote, "Israel has hypnotized the world. May Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel."

You've commented a lot since then trying to explain what you meant by that. And I wonder just what your message is this morning as the first on our "Game Changer" series to Jewish-Americans who find that deeply offensive.

OMAR: Oh, that's really a regrettable way of expressing that. I don't know how my comments would be offensive to Jewish-Americans. My comments precisely are addressing what was happening during the Gaza war. And I am clearly speaking about the way that the Israeli regime was conducting itself in that war.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Before you go, we saw Steve King reprimanded by everyone except for one member of the House. So you voted to reprimand him as well this week for his racist remarks. And you called it an overwhelmingly bold message.

There was one member of Congress, a fellow Democrat, Representative Bobby Rush, who voted against that because he said, "Look, this doesn't go far enough. This is not a censure. We need to say more on these racist remarks." He said it was not worth the paper it was written on.

I wonder, Congresswoman, what do you think? Do you think that Representative Steve King should be censured?

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D), MINNESOTA: Yes. I think it's really important in a moment -- in a time in our nation's history where racism and bigotry is rampant, that we take a bold stance.

I am one that is for restoration and one that believes in restorative measures. And I hope, now that we -- that wasn't followed through with, that this serves as an opportunity for the congressman to make amends and move away from the hateful speech that he has partaken in.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Congressman Ilhan Omar, thanks very much and congratulations on your election to Congress.

HARLOW: Thank you.

OMAR: Thank you for having me.

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