CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Lucy McBath

Interview

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BALDWIN: The new president of the National Rifle Association is apologizing now to Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath. In an interview with a local newspaper Carolyn Meadows was asked about a landmark congressional election in her home town of Murrieta, Georgia. Where McBath, a Democrat, flipped a very conservative district while championing gun safety laws.

Congresswoman McBath lost her own 17-year-old son Jordan Davis to gun violence back in 2012. And let me just show you what this new NRA President said.

Quote, it is wrong to say, like McBath said, that the reason she won was because of her anti-gun stance. That didn't have anything to do with it. It had to do with being a minority female.

Meadows now telling "The Washington Post" that her comments were, quote, insensitive and inappropriate.

And Congresswoman Lucy McBath is with me now. Congresswoman McBath a pleasure to have you back. Thank you so much. Nice to see you.

REP. LUCY MCBATH (D-GA): Thank you. I enjoyed being with you.

BALDWIN: So we'll get to her apology in just a second. But first when you first heard about those comments from this new NRA President, what did you think?

MCBATH: Well, Brooke, frankly I wasn't really that surprised. And I think the NRA would want to make this personal all day long. But I refuse to make this personal. I refuse to make this about Carolyn Meadows. I refuse to make this about myself. This is truly about making sure that I am doing my best to keep people in my district, keep our children and our community safe.

BALDWIN: Do you accept her -- is apology the right word?

MCBATH: Well, you know, there again, it's not a matter of me having to accept an apology from her, the most acceptable apology for me would be the NRA gun lobby as -- if they stop pushing their extremist agenda and that they are no longer putting profit over public safety. That would be the most acceptable apology I could ever receive.

BALDWIN: And just for people who don't know about your district, just north of Atlanta, it has belonged to Republican Stalwart, like former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich and Tom Price. Your district voted for George W. Bush and Mitt Romney by double-digits. They elected Trump by a thin margin in 2016.

[15:40:00] And all of this to say, were you even a little surprised that, using her words, as a minority female, that the Georgia state elected you.

MCBATH: Well, no. Frankly, I wasn't that surprised. But of course we know it is far more difficult for minority candidates, in particular women, to win these seats. But you know, my district is 70 percent white college-educated Americans. And they voted for me. Because they believe in me. They believe in my ability to really champion for them and so many different ways. Even outside of gun violence.

So I think that the tide is changing. People are looking for a candidate. They're looking for a representative that will stand up and fight for them. And people believe in my vision and I just want to make sure that they have everything that they deserve, that democracy should afford them.

BALDWIN: Speaking of fighting. You and I have had many conversations about your son Jordan and that you lost your son Jordan. But that you have made it your life's calling to bring about -- how you refer to it as common-sense reform in this country. And since being elected you helped the House advance its first gun violence legislation bill in years. This bill would require federal background checks for all gun purchases and since I know this is personal for you. I just wanted to play something. You'll hear from an eighth grader in Iowa asking Beto O'Rourke a really important question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STUDENT: Society is becoming numb to children being slaughtered. Victim and survivors aren't just numbers, they are human beings. Sorry.

BETO O'ROURKE, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You're OK. You're good.

STUDENT: There has been little to no effort put forward by the government to protect schools, youth and teachers from this disgusting act of violence. It is becoming an epidemic in America. I'm afraid that one day I'll go to school and I won't ever come out. I'm sorry. What actions will you take to protect people like me and my classmates, from this happening?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I mean, you hear the fear and helplessness in her young voice. She is in school. She lives this every day. How would you answer her question?

MCBATH: Well, I think that Beto answered it well. But I would like to add that I want our young people in our country to feel empowered. I want them to know that they have a tool and their voice is the strongest tool that they have to be able to speak out about the injustice of what they're feeling every single day about being afraid of being gunned down unnecessarily.

I want them to understand and know that the greatest tool they have is their right to vote. And to use that tool going to the polls when they are old enough to advocate for themselves what they want to see in their communities. What they want to see for their futures. So that's what I would add in that regard. Helping them to feel empowered to know that they have the ability to choose for themselves what their future looks like.

BALDWIN: Turning to oversight. Your committee, Congresswoman McBath, the House Judiciary Committee, is meeting with the DOJ to discuss the Attorney General. Can you tell me, has any progress or compromise been made ahead of this contempt vote?

MCBATH: Well not that I'm aware of at this point. I know that Chairman Nadler is still negotiating and of course I would like to say personally, this is not anything that I take joy in having to be a part of. I don't think any of us on the Judiciary Committee do. But our job, once again, is making sure that democracy works. Making sure that we are the bearers of Congressional oversight. Making sure that the American people have all of the information that they deserve to know, the facts.

BALDWIN: When will Robert Mueller testify?

MCBATH: Well, we're -- right now we believe it should be within a couple of weeks. So we should be within the month of May.

BALDWIN: Do you have a date? We heard a date initially. Do you have one?

MCBATH: Not that I'm aware of at this point. But we look forward to being able to really speak with Special Counsel Mueller so that he could tell us from his own lips what the truth is.

BALDWIN: There has been so much stonewalling from this White House. Don McGahn, former White House counsel, defying his subpoena for documents. Barr missing his deadline for releasing that unredacted Mueller report. Just as a member of Congress, with this White House, do you ever feel powerless?

MCBATH: I will say, Brooke, I never feel powerless because I know that the constitution is on our side. It's difficult, yes. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I didn't say it wasn't difficult. Because there is a lot of obstruction. But we'll continue to do what we are empowered to do. Congressional oversight is what we are tasked with.

[15:45:00] We took a very strong oath when we became representatives and working for Congress and we intend to carry out that oath. We intend to make sure the American people have the facts, have the information that they need and then the rest will just play out on its own.

BALDWIN: Lastly, as a Georgian, your state's governor just signed this controversial Bill today. It's called the Heartbeat Bill. It would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected which could be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Just your reaction to this?

MCBATH: I was very disheartened and just very disillusioned this was happening in my very own state. And that is the reason why while I'm here in Washington I will continue to champion for women's reproductive health care. For women to be able to choose for themselves what's best for their bodies. I'm very dissatisfied with the fact that we would be taking from women their ability to have health care services provided them. Women should be able to decide for themselves what's best for their bodies with their families, their loved ones and their health care providers.

BALDWIN: Congresswoman Lucy McBath, thank you.

MCBATH: Thank you.

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