CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Denny Heck"

Interview

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HARLOW: Joining us now to talk about this, Congressman Denny Heck, Democrat of Washington, of course a member of the Intelligence Committee.

Congressman Heck, thank you for being here.

REP. DENNY HECK (D-WA): You're welcome. HARLOW: So you are, as I understand, planning to question Marie

Yovanovitch in just short order. You still think she's going to show up?

HECK: In just a few minutes I'll head down to what we call the bunker, Poppy, which is the secured compartmentalized information facility in which all Intel Committee deliberations are held. I do expect her to show up. Every indication is that she will.

HARLOW: So, let's see if that happens and the process plays out. What do you want to hear from her? Meaning, what are the key questions you'd like to ask her specifically about her time in Ukraine and of course, Congressman, how it ended.

HECK: Well, frankly, at the risk of sounding like I'm channeling Senator Baker from the Watergate era --

HARLOW: Yes.

HECK: -- I would like to know what she knew and when she knew it. But, you know, Poppy, it was hardly a week ago when we were all being asked, what else do we need to learn? Don't we have enough information with the record of the call the president engaged in when he said, I need you to do us a favor, though. When he betrayed us. What else did we need to learn? And of course in that ensuing week, we've learned a lot. We saw the Volker texts, and now we've seen the two associates of Rudy Giuliani arrested.

So, the answer to your question is, that's why we have them in. That's why we depose them. That's why we ask them questions to learn more that we didn't know ahead of time.

HARLOW: OK. So stand by. Let's see if that actually happens. Moving on to the issue of impeachment. You've been calling for the president's impeachment since July 28th in the wake of the mueller report in his testimony. But at this point, one of the key questions is whether or not House Democrats will actually take a formal vote on an impeachment inquiry. Do you think they should?

HECK: A formal vote is not required in the Constitution, in federal law or in the House rules. Let us remind ourselves of that.

HARLOW: But do you think they should, even despite requirements or not?

HECK: Poppy, I think that the president has put that line of thinking out in order to distract us from his underlying crime, that is soliciting foreign assistance from a foreign national government which is a clear violation of federal law. It matters not to me whether a vote is taken or not. The committees themselves still have the same authority with or without that vote.

So, frankly, Poppy, listen, do you think there is a single human being on the face of the planet who believes that the president will stop obstructing if that vote is taken? That is an (INAUDIBLE). HARLOW: Yes. Here's why I ask. And I hear your argument, but let me

get your take on this because it's not just the White House or the president calling for this or that letter sent to Democratic leadership this week. It's also some of your fellow Democrats in Congress. Listen to Congressman John Garamendi of California who we had on just earlier this week.

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REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): It's time for us to put a vote on the floor. A resolution for the inquiry structured in such a way that it can move forward with full power of the Congress behind it. I think that's probably going to come in the next week or so.

HARLOW: What tells you that?

GARAMENDI: Well, the letter from the White House. Absolutely. They want a fight. OK. Then let us arm ourselves completely and totally with the full power of Congress. The votes, I'm sure, are there.

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HARLOW: He said it would arm you more. Is he wrong?

HECK: Well, of course, I love John. He's a dear friend of mine. But the fact of the matter is, as I indicated earlier, Poppy, there isn't one additional lever or one additional power that any of the committees will have if that vote is taken. In fact, we're spending our time talking about this, not the fact that the president violated federal law.

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Not the fact that he betrayed his oath of office. Not the fact that he has compromised our national security by his behavior. So, if we take the vote, I'm fine. If we don't take the vote, all the committees have the same powers they would had we taken the vote.

HARLOW: Except it would also help set rules. For example, Republicans arguing that they should have subpoena power. Do you think that they should?

HECK: OK. If we want to get into the weeds, I'll go there with you, Poppy. The reason that these votes taken by the full House were taken historically is because that was the manner in which committees were given subpoena power. But when the Republicans were in the majority, they changed the House rules to give committees --

HARLOW: In 2015.

HECK: To give committees subpoena power.

HARLOW: So, your point is this is unnecessary. This is a distraction?

HECK: Yes. Pure and simple. HARLOW: So, as you wait for this testimony from Marie Yovanovitch and

you wait for the testimony that is supposed to come next week, are you encouraged by the fact that former -- you know, that Ambassador Sondland is going to appear on Thursday due to the subpoena?

HECK: Generally speaking, Poppy, I'm encouraged that evidently an increasing number of people are willing to come forward and to speak truth to power. We have a personal adviser to Secretary of State Pompeo resigned basically in protest over this. We have the second whistleblower come forward. Now we have the information about Ambassador Sondland being willing to come forward.

I think there is a steady drumbeat that is increasing in its loudness, frankly, and in its breadth and depth. And I'm encouraged by that. I've said all along that there were patriots throughout the administration that are deeply bothered by this illegal behavior and are increasingly willing to speak up. So you bet I'm encouraged by it.

HARLOW: Congressman Denny Heck, we know you have a very busy morning with this coming up. Thanks for taking the time before that.

HECK: You're welcome.

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