CNN "Erin Burnett Out Front" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Denny Heck"

Interview

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BURNETT: All right. Kaitlan, thank you very much. And, of course, we all are waiting for those details. So let's go to Democratic Congressman Denny Heck who sits on the House Intelligence Committee. So Congressman, help me understand this vote a bit more, if you can.

One crucial thing Republicans have wanted is the right to the power to issue subpoenas. Does that change with this vote or not?

REP. DENNY HECK (D-WA): Well, first, let's just remind everybody, Erin, that nothing in the constitution or federal law or the House rules requires us to take this vote. In fact, a federal court just last week affirmed that we were in fact engaged in an official impeachment inquiry.stitution or federal law or the House rules requires us to take this vote. In fact, a federal court just last week affirmed that we were in fact engaged in an official impeachment inquiry.

But this next step is the natural progression, the natural evolution of the accumulation of this mounting evidence against the President as manifested in those text exchanges that were revealed in the opening statements that were revealed to the public by Dr. Hill of the Security Council, Ambassador Yovanovitch, Ambassador Taylor, in particular. But most incriminating, of course, was the President's own statement in that recorded phone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine in which he said, "I would like you to do us a favor though." A confession, by the way, that was effectively signed by his Chief of

Staff Mick Mulvaney in a later press conference. So the really interesting question here is, since the Republicans have been demanding this for weeks and they're being presented with it, are they now, in fact, an alternative vote, no. In my prediction is that in fact indeed, most of them will, because they aren't interested in getting at the truth and they will invent yet another excuse to obstruct.

BURNETT: I want to go back to the subpoena point, but you're saying you're going to lay out the roadmap for public hearings, counsel in the room, I understand that's also part of it, dates of transcripts from all of the depositions you've done so far are going to be released, so all of that is a part of this.

HECK: Yes. Erin, as we have been saying for weeks, we would do.

BURNETT: What about subpoenas though? Because this is important to them that they would have the power to issue subpoenas. They all say, OK, maybe legally you guys don't have to do that, but certainly the precedent from prior impeachments is that the minority power did get that.

HECK: To my knowledge, Erin, we haven't been presented at all with a list of witnesses that they would like to subpoena. I have heard the Chair of the Intelligence Committee, Congressman Schiff indicate that he would entertain it if they were to bring it forward.

But nobody is fooling anybody. What they are doing again is objecting the process and not doing what they have failed to do all along, which is actually defend the President for his behavior, for his solicitation by a foreign government of interference in a domestic election.

BURNETT: So House Intelligence Committee Chairman, you mentioned your Chairman, Adam Schiff. He says that the committee still has 'further depositions to do'. Obviously, those depositions have been behind closed doors. Democrats and Republicans on the appropriate committee present, but behind closed doors broadly speaking.

When will the public phase begin? Is this next week, the week after, when?

HECK: I don't think we have a hard and fast timetable. But let's go back and give a little definition to your characteristic of this characterization of this, broadly speaking. In fact, Erin, 122 of 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve on one of the three committees and have access to the depositions today that we have taken. It is very broadly available.

And to further characterize that, the time allowed for questioning our witnesses has been equally divided 50/50, even though Republicans in the minority don't constitute 50% of the membership of those three committees.

BURNETT: So total time has been 50/50, not just every person gets equal time.

HECK: That's correct.

BURNETT: Which is interesting, because I know we pointed out each individual got equal time, but you're saying each party. What does this mean for the timeline, Congressman? I know you don't know specifically, but is your goal do you think it is reasonable to say that the House will be voting on formal articles of impeachment before Thanksgiving?

HECK: I would not venture to make that guess at this time, Erin, but I would reiterate that which we've indicated before, without being hasty we want to be expeditious and deliberate. And I think we all recognize that this cannot go on forever. And indeed, as I said, all along, one of the biggest challenges that we have is where do you cut it off.

We have considerable mounting evidence, in fact, sufficient, I believe, for us to take this next step. But nobody wants this to go on forever.

BURNETT: All right. Well, I appreciate your time, Congressman Heck, as always. Thank you, sir.

HECK: You're welcome, Erin.

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