CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: "Interview with Sen. Richard Blumenthal"
Interview
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BLITZER: All right, Jessica, thank you.
And joining us now, Senator Richard Blumenthal. He's a Democrat. He serves on the Armed Services and Judiciary committees.
I want to talk about Justice Kavanaugh in a moment, but let's talk about Saudi Arabia first.
Have you been fully briefed on what the U.S. knows about this attack against the Saudi oil facilities?
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): There is a lot more that I want to know.
The simple answer is, Congress has not received a full briefing. It should, because there's a lot of evidence we need. And the main point here is, the president must come to Congress for authorization before he pursues military force.
BLITZER: Do you think Iran was responsible?
BLUMENTHAL: There's a lot of evidence that points toward Iran as being responsible, in one way or another, either furnishing the arms that were used, possibly even launching the missiles or drones.
But we need to act, if we do militarily, as a last resort. We need to pursue diplomacy first.
BLITZER: As a member of the Armed Services Committee, what kind of evidence would you like to see that would be credible, believable?
BLUMENTHAL: We need to link the arms to Iran. Either they're furnishing them or they're actually launching them. And that would be done either by human intelligence or surveillance that was done by other means or other evidence that should be within the prerogative of the executive branch.
BLITZER: If it were Iran directly launching these attacks or through a proxy launching these attacks with Iranian weapons, what would be their incentive? Why would they do this?
BLUMENTHAL: The Iranians and the Saudis are enemies. And the Iranians may want to send a message to the Saudis or to the potential allies of the Saudis or to the United States.
But the United States should not be protecting Saudi interests. We should not be at the mercy of the Saudi oil reserves or their financial incentives. The royal family should not be the one authorizing the use of military force.
BLITZER: So, if the U.S. does conclude that it was Iran, how should the U.S. respond?
BLUMENTHAL: There should be consequences if there's an attack on the Saudis, but it should be consequences that are the result of not only the United States acting, but our consulting and acting with our allies. That is very, very important.
BLITZER: You heard the president a little while ago in that Q&A with reporters saying that, if the U.S. were to launch strikes against Iran or whoever was responsible for this attack on Saudi Arabia, he says the Saudis would have to reimburse the United States financially for any such operation.
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What do you think about that?
BLUMENTHAL: To me, the financial reimbursement is far less important.
It pales in importance compared to the vast dangers of our becoming embroiled in another endless war. We have been involved in the Iraq War with very questionable reasons for 18 years, the loss of blood and lives and injuries.
As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, I can tell you, you will be paying the cost of that war for years to come in human suffering. And that is what matters to me, our men and women in uniform who may be implicated.
And I would make this point, Wolf, and it's really an important one. Military consequences in any conflict with Iran could be immense. That is what we're hearing from the generals, when it comes to their nuclear deterrent, if we were ever to take military force seriously there.
And we should be very mindful of those dangers.
BLITZER: On another sensitive issue -- and you're on the Judiciary Committee -- what do you think of New York prosecutors now going after President Trump's tax returns, eight years of tax returns, and filing formal subpoenas in order to get those tax returns?
BLUMENTHAL: They are investigating violations of law.
And the tax returns have financial information that is relevant to that investigation. Follow the money. I know that as a former prosecutor. In this instance, Donald Trump should have disclosed those tax returns, as every other president has done long before now. And they are within their rights to seek... (CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: If Congress can't get their hands on these tax returns, do you think New York prosecutors will be able to do so?
BLUMENTHAL: They may well be able to do so, because they're conducting a criminal investigation, and a criminal subpoena often is more readily enforceable.
BLITZER: Let me get your thoughts on the latest allegations against Justice Kavanaugh.
BLUMENTHAL: Lying to Congress should be disqualifying for a Supreme Court justice, in fact, for any public official.
These allegations reinforce the concerns that led me to aggressively and actively oppose the Kavanaugh nominations. They were never -- they were never investigated fully and fairly by the FBI.
I brought similar allegations. The Max Stier issue that's been raised is only one of a number involving Debbie Ramirez, Carrie Bertram (ph). We wrote letters we brought to the FBI's attention, this kind of information.
The FBI was straitjacketed. And there is a need for investigation now, because there never was then.
BLITZER: Several of the Democratic presidential candidates have already called for Justice Kavanaugh's impeachment. Are you with them on that?
BLUMENTHAL: I'm with them on the investigation. There needs to be an investigation.
I think that the consequence of that investigation cannot be prejudged. And I might add, Wolf, that the House Judiciary Committee is only one of the ways to do the investigation. The Senate Judiciary Committee has an interest, because that's where he allegedly committed these lies by denying categorically any involvement in these incidents.
The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia has jurisdiction. The FBI was misused, because it was straitjacketed. And it ought to have an interest.
BLITZER: All right, Senator Blumenthal, thank you so much for joining us.
BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.
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