Democrat who opposed Pelosi for speaker is blocked from a seat on the judiciary committee
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This is a rush transcript from "Sunday Morning Futures," January 20, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MARIA BARTIROMO, HOST: Good Sunday morning, everyone. Thanks so much for joining us.
I'm Maria Bartiromo.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Coming up, joining us straight ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures" right here, Republican Senator John Hoeven on President Trump's new offer to end the partial government shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he intends to act on the bill this week, but can it pass?
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already says the president's proposal is a nonstarter. So, what will bring Democrats to the bargaining table?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}We will hear from Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.
Also with us, Freshman Congressman Jeff Van Drew on why he didn't support Nancy Pelosi for a second time.
Then Congressman John Ratcliffe from the House Judiciary Committee reacting to new revelations this week that Bruce Ohr did tell his DOJ colleagues about the salacious and unverified anti-Trump dossier that it was linked to the Clinton campaign. So, why didn't they tell the FISA court before wiretapping an American citizen?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}All that and more coming up right now, as we look ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures."
And we begin with President Trump unveiling a new proposal yesterday to end the government shutdown. It would include temporary protections for DACA recipients, in exchange for border wall funding. The president urging Democrats to get on board.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: This is a commonsense compromise both parties should embrace. The radical left can never control our borders. I will never let it happen. Walls are not immoral.
In fact, they are the opposite of immoral, because they will save many lives and stop drugs from pouring into our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BARTIROMO: Meanwhile, the president tweeting to Speaker Pelosi regarding her call to delay the State of the Union until the government is reopened.
The president writes this, this morning -- quote -- "Nancy, I'm still thinking about the State of the Union speech. There are so many options, including doing it, as per your written offer made during the shutdown. Security is no problem, and my written acceptance. While I contract is a contract, I will get back to you soon," the president writes to Nancy Pelosi this morning.
Joining me right now in an exclusive interview, Republican senator from North Dakota, Senator John Hoeven is with us this morning in Washington, sitting on the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the Senate Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Coalition. He's also the former governor of North Dakota.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sir, good to have you on the program. Senator, thank you so much for joining us.
SEN. JOHN HOEVEN R-N.D.: Good to be with you, Maria.
BARTIROMO: Your reaction to the president's Plan announced yesterday?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HOEVEN: Yes, it's a good proposal. And we're going to put it on the floor this week in the Senate. And I sincerely hope that our colleagues from across the aisle will work with us on this.
Let's get this passed. Let's end the shutdown, as well as fund border security.
BARTIROMO: All right, so you are going to bring this to the floor on Tuesday. Do you believe you will have the votes?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HOEVEN: You know, I think it may take some work. But I think we can get there.
Look, we have got provisions in here that the Democrats have indicated they very much want, whether it's DACA or humanitarian assistance or technology at the border points of entry. These are all things that they have said they want in the deal. We're putting them out there.
The president laid it out last night. And they need to work with us.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BARTIROMO: And many of the things here were part of the BRIDGE Act, which we know that they voted on before and they voted yes.
So this upcoming week, the Senate will take up the bill that extends TPS, temporary protected status, for DACA recipients...
HOEVEN: Right.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BARTIROMO: ... as well as the overall DACA recipients' help, fund humanitarian aid for migrants, and obviously ends the shutdown.
What do you believe your colleagues on the left will have a problem with in terms of that list?
HOEVEN: Well, look, these are things that our colleagues have voted for before, in addition, will include the appropriations bills, which are bipartisan, and they have supported, as well as the supplementals for disaster assistance to help with the hurricanes we had in Florida and Georgia, with the fires in California, the earthquake we had up in Alaska.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}So, look, this is -- it's very compelling. These are things that they have wanted, that they have promised to their constituents. They need to work with us. And I get there may be some back and forth. But they need to work with us now to get it done. And let's get it done this week.
BARTIROMO: Well, I mean, it includes border security funding...
HOEVEN: Right.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BARTIROMO: ... the president's $5.7 billion.
Is that what is going to be the nonstarter, that it includes money for border security?
HOEVEN: Look, we need to not only fund the government, all the things we have described before, the things that the Democrats want, but we have got to have border security, which includes that funding for a wall.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And that's something that they have voted for before. That is just commonsense part of national security, border security.
BARTIROMO: OK.
So, let me ask you what the justification would be, in terms of not providing the money for border security, given that all of these things have already been things that they voted on. And, frankly, there's already a border wall in Nancy Pelosi's state, which we're going to talk about with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell right after we discuss this.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}So -- so, tell me your thinking in terms of what your colleagues will push back on.
HOEVEN: Well, that's it. This is just basic common sense.
First, it's just part of national security. Second, they have voted for it before. We have existing border wall, border fence, whatever you want to call it. They have fund -- Democrats have funded it for previous presidents, including President Obama.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There's no reason to turn this down, particularly now, when we're reaching out and compromising on things that they want.
BARTIROMO: Well, you have looked -- you're looking to fund the government until at least September. You're on the Appropriations Committee.
Senator, tell us where the priorities are for this government in terms of allocating capital?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HOEVEN: Well, you have seen it. I saw earlier you were talking about the stock market going up. That's because the economy is so strong.
We ended the year with more than 3 percent growth. That -- that comes because we have cut taxes and because we have reduced the regulatory burden. So, if we can continue to focus on these fundamentals that get our economy to grow, and then make sure we do the things that people want, find ways to reduce costs in terms of the overall cost of government, to have strong security, support our military, our law enforcement, do the things - - address the health care issues, bring down the cost of prescription drugs.
Those are the kind of fundamentals that help our people in their everyday lives across the country.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BARTIROMO: When do you start making reining in spending a priority?
HOEVEN: Well, that...
(CROSSTALK)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BARTIROMO: You and your colleagues just voted and passed the farm bill, $867 billion over the next 10 years. It's a head-scratcher that you would agree to a $867 billion farm bill, and yet you can't find $5.7 billion for border security.
HOEVEN: Well, we absolutely can and need to find the funding for border security, no question about it.
We actually saved money over the last number of years in the farm bill. And, again, if we can hold the line on spending overall, keep it from growing, find savings where we can, and keep our economy growing, that's how you reduce the debt and deficit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BARTIROMO: So what's your view in terms of the impact of this shutdown on the economy?
HOEVEN: Well, obviously, it will have some negative effect. But the key is the underlying fundamentals, which I just talked about a minute ago.
As long as we keep those fundamentals strong in terms of good economic policy and keep that job growth going, the economy will grow. And you're seeing wage growth, which is so important, because then people feel it right in their pocketbook.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BARTIROMO: So, do you believe it's about one-tenth of a percent impact per week as a result of the government shutdown?
I mean, I recognize it hasn't really hit the private sector yet. But, when that happens, that would have an impact on broad economic growth, right?
HOEVEN: It will have an impact.
Again, that's why, let's -- we're putting this bill on the floor this week.
BARTIROMO: Right.
HOEVEN: Let's get it done. And that will take care of it.
BARTIROMO: All right, so you think you will have the votes necessary next week on Tuesday or Wednesday?
HOEVEN: It's going to take some work, but this is a compelling package. We're offering compromise.
The Democrats need to join with us now and work with us to get this done.
BARTIROMO: When you say work, what does that mean, Senator? What do you mean it's going to take work? You mean you're going to try to...
HOEVEN: Well, there may be...
BARTIROMO: Yes.
HOEVEN: There may be some provisions in there that they may want to adjust or add or change a little bit.
But, at the end of the day, we have got to continue to work to find that compromise and get it done. And this package that the president's put forward -- and we worked with him on to do it -- is a good package. We can get to a resolution, end the border shutdown, make sure -- or -- excuse me -- end the government shutdown, make sure we have border funding for security, and cover a lot of priorities that Democrats have said they very much want to get done.
BARTIROMO: Yes, speaking of security, you introduced this week a bipartisan resolution supporting the modernization and maintenance of the country's intercontinental ballistic missile fleet.
HOEVEN: Right.
BARTIROMO: That's ICBM fleet.
Tell us about it. What do you...
HOEVEN: Well, it follows the administration's missile defense review. It's part of defending our country, making sure that, as our adversaries increase their capabilities, both in terms of their offensive weapons and their missile defense systems, that we can defeat them.
We always have to have the technological edge, so that we can not only defend our country, but keep our troops safe. When they're out there defending us, we need to make sure that they have superiority in terms of technology and weapons systems.
BARTIROMO: And the other nuclear countries, Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, are they pursuing advancements in their weaponry?
HOEVEN: Exactly right. And that's why we have to stay ahead of them, both in our ICBM and our ABM, anti-ballistic or missile defense systems.
It's both.
BARTIROMO: So, in terms of allocating capital toward defense, is that in jeopardy in any way, as you look to fund the government until September?
HOEVEN: That has to be an absolute priority.
I mean, that's what we're talking about when we talk about border security, supporting our military -- military, supporting our law enforcement. Those are fundamentals to keeping our country and our people safe. That's got to be an absolute priority.
BARTIROMO: Senator, before you go, let me end where I began, and that is on this -- on this plan from the president.
What do you expect the Republicans are going to have to give on in order to get your colleagues on the left to vote for this?
HOEVEN: Again, I get that Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer have come out and said, oh, it's not good enough. I get that. But the fundamentals are there.
So there may be some adjustments in some of these provisions we have talked about, but all the elements are there to get to an agreement. People want us to get to an agreement now and get this done.
BARTIROMO: Senator, it's good to have you on the program this morning. We will be watching the developments on Tuesday this upcoming week. Thank you.
HOEVEN: Thank you, Maria.
BARTIROMO: Senator John Hoeven there.
Well, the shutdown is entering day 30. A new migrant caravan has crossed into Mexico. It's headed toward the U.S. border as we speak.
Our own Griff Jenkins is embedded with the caravan. He will bring us a report coming up next.
And then that BuzzFeed report the claims President Trump instructed his former personal attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress is getting rare pushback from the special counsel, Robert Mueller's team.
We will talk about that when we come back.
Follow me on Twitter @MariaBartiromo, @MariaBartiromo on Instagram and @SundayFutures. Let us know what you would like to hear about the rest of the show.
We're coming back in two minutes' time, as we look ahead on "Sunday Morning Futures."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
Hundreds more Central American migrants setting their sights on the United States, a new caravan crossing into Mexico on their journey toward the southern border in the U.S.
Griff Jenkins is live right now in Mexico. He's in Huixtla, Mexico, with the caravan.
Griff, what's the latest there? And is there another caravan behind this one?
GRIFF JENKINS, CORRESPONDENT: Well, Maria, we're about -- there is.
In fact, there's a caravan starting in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, this morning, already on their way, as many as 1,000 or more, according to the relatives.
But what you're seeing now, it's hot out here. It's 90-plus degrees. And this is -- earlier this morning in Huixtla, there was about seven or eight buses that picked up people. It was being provided by, by the local government of Huixtla. So this is the Mexico level government assisting this caravan.
But you see people piling on to these vehicles, which is dangerous. And if you walk here, you can see them trying to get into this truck as well, and get there any way they can.
It's interesting. We saw just a few days ago, Maria, that Mexico said they were going to enforce their southern border, but yet we saw open gates temporarily. So they made very little effort to stop that. And now you have this situation here playing out.
Now, we talked just 15 minutes ago to a gentleman off camera in Spanish that said he was part of the first caravan, made it to Tijuana, went across in San Diego, got deported. And he's making the second trek.
Just to give you some idea, the southern border of Mexico all the way to Tijuana is essentially 2,500 miles, the equivalent of walking from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles. So this gentleman I'm just describing did that trek. Now he's doing it again in so many weeks.
But, as you can see, this just isn't a safe situation for these people, as both local folks here, as well as the local governments, seem to be helping to assist this migrant caravan. So there is another one started, as I mentioned.
And, interestingly enough, in Honduras today, we're told there's a call for a national strike against President Juan Orlando Hernandez. That's part of the reason why they're fleeing. They don't trust what they say is a corrupt president there.
BARTIROMO: Well...
JENKINS: Now, I will say one more thing, Maria.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
JENKINS: And that is, we do have some new numbers; 3,691 are the number of migrants that took Mexico's offer to get a temporary work visa -- Maria.
BARTIROMO: OK, yes, because the president had tweeted earlier in the week, saying Mexico wasn't helping us with this.
You mentioned the border near Tijuana. It's interesting, because that's -- that border wall is right in Nancy Pelosi's state. We're going to talk with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell about that in a moment.
Look, you have spoken with a lot of these migrants. I saw you on the air yesterday. You were talking with one. And he said, oh, they're going to just sneak in. Tell me what you're getting. What are their intentions, Griff? Because you have been talking to both -- both caravan buses and talking with some of the people in there.
Can you explain who's on that bus, who's in the caravan and what their intentions are?
JENKINS: Absolutely, Maria.
Their intentions are to come to the United States. It's a mix of women and children, but I would say easily three-fourths are males. And they -- I ask almost all of them. The first question I say is, do you know that the United States is trying to make it harder for you to get in, that you won't qualify, 95 percent of you won't qualify for asylum in the United States, just because of needing a job?
And they all say they don't care. They're coming anyway.
So whether or not you're one of the 3,600 that got a temporary work visa...
BARTIROMO: Right.
JENKINS: ... which may freely travel to the U.S. border in Tijuana, or whether you're part of this group right here, they're -- it's fair to say that they almost all have a final destination of the United States...
BARTIROMO: All right.
JENKINS: ... whether they can legally or illegally.
BARTIROMO: Griff, thanks so much. Great job on the ground there in Mexico. Griff Jenkins is live with us.
And joining me right now is Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. She's the co-chairwoman of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.
Congresswoman, it's good to see you this morning.
First, give me your reaction to the president's plans, which he laid out yesterday.
REP. DEBBIE DINGELL, D-MICH.: You know, I'm going to say several things.
One, he didn't say a word about any of the workers that have been furloughed, about getting the government open again. And I'm just meeting with so many workers who are desperate. They're about to have a second -- next Friday, they will miss their second paycheck.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: We have got to reopen the government.
(COUGHING)
DINGELL: I'm sorry, Maria. Too much speaking outdoors.
BARTIROMO: Yes, no -- no problem. Maybe have some water, if you can, while you're there. I know the feeling. I have had a cough in the last couple of days.
But, Congresswoman, let me ask. You say that he didn't mention the workers. Isn't that the whole point of this proposal that he put on the table? The whole point is to open the government and get his -- get his border security money for the wall...
DINGELL: Well...
BARTIROMO: ... because this proposal that the president put on the table yesterday extends the temporary protective services for DACA recipients, helps DACA recipients, funds disaster relief, funds humanitarian aid for migrants, and, of course, in all of this, it ends the government shutdown.
That was the point of it, Congresswoman.
DINGELL: Well, first of all, what he did was put on the table things that have already been rejected by both the House and the Senate before.
BARTIROMO: Well...
DINGELL: We're going to next week actually -- but they have been rejected. They're the same old proposals.
BARTIROMO: Yes. What about the BRIDGE Act? What about the BRIDGE Act?
Because I believe the Democrats voted for the BRIDGE Act. And many of these proposals were part of the BRIDGE Act, Congresswoman.
DINGELL: You know what's going to happen next week, Maria?
We're going to put on the House floor six bills which have been negotiated by Senate and House conference committees to reopen the government, reopen those six other agencies. Then let's get in the room and have a real discussion about how we keep this nation safe.
I don't know any Democrat that doesn't care about keeping our nation safe. We do need to have border security. And we need to...
(CROSSTALK)
DINGELL: It's not just the wall.
BARTIROMO: Let me stop you there, Congresswoman, because you say that you don't know any Democrats who don't want border security.
And yet none of them voted for Kate's Law. None of them voted to end sanctuary city status. None of them voted for the DACA plan that the president put on the table.
So can you really say that, that they're for border security, when they haven't voted for any of the above?
DINGELL: Yes, I can say that.
And I'm going to talk about how we need to support actual policy that works. How do you keep our border safe? How do you make sure -- we have 3,000 open positions right now for Customs and Border Patrol? We need to fill those positions.
If you want to talk about drugs coming into this country, which the president talked about yesterday...
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: ... 90 percent of cocaine, 88 percent of opiates, and 80 -- 88 -- and of opioids -- and 80 percent of fentanyl comes in at the ports.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: We're doing nothing to keep our ports safe.
BARTIROMO: Congresswoman, we're going to take a quick break.
But, with all due respect, everything you're saying, we have heard from the president. And that's the reason he put the proposal on the table.
I want to take a short break. I want to show you when we come back the map of the wall that separates Tijuana and San Diego, because it's real compelling.
DINGELL: OK.
BARTIROMO: Stay with us.
More, as we get your thoughts on also special counsel Robert Mueller's statement disputing BuzzFeed's report that claimed the president directed his former personal attorney Michael Cohen to lie.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: And we're back with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell.
And, Congresswoman, I want you to talk to me a bit about why the speaker and your colleagues are so against some kind of fencing or barrier on our southern border. In fact, Nancy Pelosi has a border wall right in her own state.
We're going to look at this map right here of Tijuana and the wall that separates Tijuana and San Diego. We have got about three million people in Tijuana and three million people in San Diego.
Why wasn't one of her first points on the agenda to tear down this wall, if it's immoral?
DINGELL: So, what I want is border security, which I think means -- and I think most Democrats mean -- let's all get in the room and talk about what that border security is.
There are many parts along that border that a wall doesn't even work. There's rivers, et cetera. We have new technology out. We have drones.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: We have sensors. We should be using all of it, Maria.
BARTIROMO: Absolutely.
DINGELL: So, why do we have to close six other departments?
And why -- let's get in regular order. Let's get in the room.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: Let's all agree on border security, a package that will truly keep us safe.
BARTIROMO: Sure.
DINGELL: And let's reopen the government.
BARTIROMO: I think you make a lot of good points, because there are areas of the country where we don't need a wall probably, like near the Rio Grande, where there's this open space, where, if a migrant, if an illegal immigrant comes and tries to hide in that area, he will probably or she will probably be found pretty quickly, because it's miles and miles of open space.
But I want to get your take specifically on the southern border, and specifically this wall in Tijuana, because this is a very tense -- dense area, rather, with three million people in one -- outside and another three million on the other side.
If you were to tear that wall down, do you think that eventually those people would just assimilate and those three million people in Tijuana would basically just become citizens in the U.S.?
DINGELL: First of all...
BARTIROMO: I mean, not citizens legally, obviously, but just assimilate into the population? Would that happen?
(CROSSTALK)
DINGELL: First of all, nobody is saying we don't need border security.
Why don't we...
BARTIROMO: No, no, Congresswoman, I'm specifically asking you about the border in Nancy Pelosi's state.
(CROSSTALK)
DINGELL: Right now, they need more -- they're not -- haven't even filled all the positions to keep that border -- that border safe.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: Should that wall be torn down?
DINGELL: We need more technology.
BARTIROMO: Should that wall be torn down?
DINGELL: No, I don't -- I haven't been to visit the site. I don't know all the specifics of it. And I'm not stupid enough to comment.
BARTIROMO: Well, let me give you some specifics. Let me give you some specifics, Congresswoman...
DINGELL: All right, go ahead.
BARTIROMO: ... because we have got the border apprehensions just from that wall just in the month of November 2018.
And, in California, there were 7,764 apprehensions, nearly 7,800 border apprehensions in California alone just for the month. November last year, total Southwest border apprehensions for November, nearly 52,000.
I guess that tells you that that wall works. Would you say that wall in Nancy Pelosi's state is working?
DINGELL: There are places that it is appropriate.
BARTIROMO: How about that wall, that specific wall in Tijuana and San Diego?
(CROSSTALK)
DINGELL: Because I haven't visited, I'm not going to say for sure. But I'm not going to say it should come down either.
I'm -- one thing I have learned about, when you are seasoned, don't comment when you don't have all the facts, and don't know if you're walking into something you shouldn't say.
But I'll tell you what. The next time you talk to me, I'm going to study it and have the answer.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: I just wonder why Nancy Pelosi is so against it and your colleagues are so against it, when we know that there's a wall in her own state.
Do you find that hypocritical?
DINGELL: You know, I...
BARTIROMO: Let me ask you. Let's take a step back, Congresswoman.
Let's take a step back and just try to understand better whether or not this is all politics, because we know that many of your colleagues voted for a border wall twice. That includes Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, in terms of the need to protect the American citizens.
We know that. Now Donald Trump has the idea. He made it a campaign promise. And he said all throughout the campaign build that wall a number of times.
Is that the reason that you're against the wall and your colleagues are against the wall? Because it was now Donald Trump's campaign promise?
DINGELL: First of all, I have been really clear I don't think compromise is a dirty word. And I have always said that.
I do believe that we need to have a conversation about border security and that border because security is a much larger topic.
BARTIROMO: Right.
DINGELL: Do I think we're political right now? I absolutely do. And I think it's ridiculous.
I think that there are -- we need to reopen the government. There are so many services that aren't getting done now, from the people that need help, and the people that aren't being paid.
I get -- I mean, I had a mother this week call me who's been deemed an essential service employee. She doesn't have -- hasn't been paid in a month, can't pay for her child's take day care. Day care is kicking her out. She's losing the space.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: She can't take time off because she's been deemed essential.
She is working Denny's at midnight. That's not right either.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: You just said it moments ago. We have to have a conversation.
Isn't that what we're doing? Isn't that why the government is shut down?
DINGELL: Well, you and I are.
BARTIROMO: No, no, no.
But, I mean, that's why Nancy Pelosi is in Washington. The president has put something on the table yesterday. This is what they're doing, right? They're having a conversation.
DINGELL: Well, what I hope...
BARTIROMO: And, moments ago, you said that the president hasn't spoken about the thousands of people who are not getting paid.
The president signed a bill that will provide hundreds of thousands of government employees with back pay after the shutdown ends. He just signed that bill last week.
DINGELL: OK, but can I give you some real world?
I'm talking to these people every single day. They can't -- the TSA guys in Detroit can't pay for the gas to go to work. I talked to a Secret Service agent...
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: ... who is putting his life and willing to take a bullet, and his kids are suffering. He can't explain to his kids why both and mom and...
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: I think we both agree on this.
DINGELL: I think we absolutely agree.
BARTIROMO: I think the bigger issue...
DINGELL: And I hope we get people -- what we need to do is get regular order.
We have six bills that have been negotiated, agreed to by Senate and House Republicans and Democrats. Let's reopen that.
BARTIROMO: You know what I think people get frustrated with?
I think, no matter what side you're on, you just want to see some honesty. And you want to see honesty, whether it be at the border wall, or whether it be in terms of what went on in the 2016 election, or, this past week, BuzzFeed coming out with a report saying that the president directed Michael Cohen to lie for him to Congress.
And then the special counsel, in a very rare move, had to come out and say that report is inaccurate. What did you think about that?
DINGELL: I don't know what to think.
And I'm -- you know me. I am someone that's very blunt. He didn't totally deny the report.
BARTIROMO: No, he said it's inaccurate, is what the special counsel said.
DINGELL: He said it was inaccurate.
BARTIROMO: Inaccurate.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: So, should we continue with all of this stuff going out there in the zeitgeist to make people think, on the one hand, the president said to lie, on the other hand, the president said that he just wants the wall and doesn't -- and the Democrats want border security?
I mean, honesty, I think, is what we all want...
DINGELL: We...
BARTIROMO: ... on both sides of the aisle.
(CROSSTALK)
DINGELL: You know, one of the reasons I think -- one of the reasons I think Donald Trump got elected was because the American people were tired of partisan bickering.
And they thought that it would bring a change.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: Unfortunately, it hasn't brought a change.
I think you're exactly right. They're tired of seeing this.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: We got to get in a room.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
DINGELL: And we got a new brand-new class with a lot younger....
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: We will see.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: There's a lot of division there. We have got to talk more about that when you come back.
Congresswoman, good to see you.
DINGELL: Bring people together. Work together.
BARTIROMO: Thank you.
Congressman John Ratcliffe...
DINGELL: Thank you.
BARTIROMO: ... is up next on the FISA abuse bombshell.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
Now reaction from the other side of the aisle. 2 I want to bring in Republican Congressman from Texas John Ratcliffe. He sits on the House Judiciary Committee, as well as the House Homeland Security Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity. He's also a former federal prosecutor.
Congressman, it's always a pleasure. Thanks for joining us this morning.
REP. JOHN RATCLIFFE, R-TX: You bet. Good morning, Maria.
BARTIROMO: First off, you just heard Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. Your reaction to the special counsel, in a very rare move, coming out and refuting that BuzzFeed report which was all in the headlines, top headlines, and on all the news last week that the president had directed Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, to lie for him to Congress?
RATCLIFFE: Well, I'm glad the special counsel did it. It was the right thing to do. He deserves credit for that. I think the president gave him credit for that.
I guess the question that I would have Maria, is why now, almost two years into the special counsel's tenure, does he take this extraordinary action to correct a fake news or false news article about the special counsel, when there have been a dozen of them over the last two years?
So is that just a coincidence? Or does it have something to do with the fact that that happened two days after an attorney general nominee said for the first time, I'm going to grade the special counsel's homework, and I'm going to get to the bottom of all of this and bring a fair and expeditious conclusion to this matter?
BARTIROMO: Yes.
RATCLIFFE: So I don't think it's as much of a coincidence, as it is a cause and effect of what happened earlier in the week at the attorney general's confirmation hearing.
BARTIROMO: Yes, I want to -- I want to get back to Bill Barr's confirmation hearings and get your take on the timing, when he might be confirmed. First week in February, I think, is what we talked about.
But let me get your take on this, because you never bought into that story that BuzzFeed reported, right? You never believed that the president asked Michael Cohen to lie?
RATCLIFFE: No.
Listen, if there was a conspiracy with the president of the United States to lie to Congress, that's the first thing Michael Cohen would have led with months ago, and it's the first thing the special counsel would have included. Michael Cohen wouldn't have pled to lying to Congress. He would have led to a conspiracy to lie to Congress that involved the president.
So I never for a second thought there was anything to that BuzzFeed story. And I'm glad the special counsel corrected the record.
BARTIROMO: So the fact that -- is now we're learning him say, oh, I was directed by the president, after he's already been sentenced. He's going to go to jail for lying to Congress.
OK, let me move on, because we did also get some revelations from Bruce Ohr's closed-door interview with you and your colleagues, transcribed interview, with congressional investigators.
And I want to talk about that, because it really does put a spotlight on something whereas the people on the left and your detractors in terms of saying, this is nonsense -- Jim Comey continues to call all of this nonsense.
You just -- we had Jim Himes on last week, one of your colleagues on the Intel Committee. And I talked about FISA abuse with the Democratic congressman. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: We know that there was real FISA abuse, where the FBI didn't tell the FISA judge who paid for the dossier, that it was a political document, et cetera.
Are you going to pursue that? Are you going to seek the truth there?
REP. JIM HIMES, D-CONN.: Maria, that's -- that's not accurate. And I have looked at every single one of the FISA affidavits.
BARTIROMO: What is not accurate, sir?
HIMES: That the Justice Department in any way misled the judge.
I understand that that's the Republican talking point, but that's...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: Congressman, your reaction?
RATCLIFFE: Well, my reaction is that Jim Himes probably wishes he'd waited a week to come on your show, because, as you said, Maria, Bruce Ohr, parts of his testimony became publicly available this week.
And he said just the opposite of what Jim's -- Jim Himes told you. Bruce Ohr raised his right hand and, under penalty of perjury, said what the FBI and the Department of Justice knew and when they knew it about Christopher Steele and the Steele dossier.
And, again, it's the opposite of what Jim Himes said last week. It was the opposite of what Adam Schiff put in a memo that he released to the American public last year on that subject.
But, then again, those of us on Capitol Hill know that when -- Adam Schiff and the truth have always had a very strained relationship and haven't always gotten along very well.
BARTIROMO: Well, Adam Schiff was out talking about him seeking the truth in other areas, but nothing about this.
Let's go through these transcripts, because you say to Bruce Ohr: "OK, so, again, so the record is clear, what the Department of Justice and the FBI were aware of prior to the first FISA application was your relationship with Christopher Steele and Glenn Simpson, your wife's relationship with Christopher Steele and Glenn Simpson, Mr. Steele's bias against Donald Trump, Mr. Simpson's bias against Donald Trump, your wife's compensation for Glenn Simpson and Fusion GPS, correct?"
And then he answers you, say -- his lawyer gets -- gets involved and says: "Can I have a second?"
Then Mr. Ohr, Bruce Ohr, answers you and says: "Right. So, just again, to reiterate, when I spoke with the FBI, I told them my wife was working for Fusion GPS. I told them Fusion GPS was doing research on Donald Trump. You know, I don't know -- I -- know if I used the term opposition research, but certainly that was my -- what I tried to convey to them."
So explain this exchange and what you got from it.
RATCLIFFE: Well, remember, Bruce Ohr is the number four person at the Department of Justice at the time.
And why this is important, Maria, is what we have been hearing from Jim Himes and from Adam Schiff, and, frankly, from the FBI and the Department of Justice was that the FBI and the Department of Justice really didn't know much about the Steele dossier until much, much later, in the fall of 2016.
Bruce Ohr said under oath that, before the Russia investigation was ever opened, on July 30, 2016, he sat down with Christopher Steele. He knew that Christopher Steele had put together this dossier, at the direction of Hillary Clinton and the Democrats.
He knew that Christopher Steele was biased and determined to stop Donald Trump. And that's why he wasn't willing to vouch for the credibility or the reliability of Christopher Steele and the dossier. And we know that he told that to the number two person at the FBI, Andy McCabe, then Lisa Page, then Peter Strzok, then Andrew Weissmann, most of whom ended up on Bob Mueller's special counsel team.
So, again, all of this flies in the face, most importantly, of what was submitted to the FISA court months later. None of this was revealed.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
RATCLIFFE: None of this was disclosed. And that's why it's so significant.
BARTIROMO: And yet the first hearings of the House Democrats that is coming up, they are bringing the witness to the floor Michael Cohen.
And that's going to happen when? When is this -- that testimony happening, sir?
RATCLIFFE: February 7.
BARTIROMO: OK.
So they are looking at something different than what we are getting from these documents in terms of who said what and knew what, when, and the malfeasance at -- at the top of the FBI?
RATCLIFFE: Yes.
You have to ask yourself, if you're interested in finding the truth, would the first witness that you bring in be someone to testify to Congress right before he goes to prison for testifying to Congress untruthfully?
That's not where I would go.
BARTIROMO: OK, I want to ask you where you would go.
We're going to take a short break, because I know that you have some ideas in terms of peeling back the onion even more.
And then I have got to get your take on the Bill Barr hearings, the William Barr hearings last week, in terms of whether or not the incoming A.G. will be following the truth and seeking the truth in this regard.
Stay with us, Congressman Ratcliffe. We will be right back with that.
RATCLIFFE: You bet.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: Are you aware that Mr. Ohr's wife worked for that organization?
WILLIAM BARR, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE: I have read that.
GRAHAM: Does that bother you if he had anything to do with the case?
BARR: Yes.
GRAHAM: Are you aware that, on numerous occasions, he met with Mr. Steele while his wife worked with Fusion GPS?
BARR: I have read that.
GRAHAM: OK.
The warrant certification against Carter Page on four different occasions certifies that the dossier, which was the main source of the warrant, was reliable. Would you look into see whether or not that was an accurate statement and hold people accountable if it wasn't?
BARR: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARTIROMO: That was the hearing for William Barr, incoming A.G.
I'm back with Congressman John Ratcliffe.
Your reaction to that? And what is the timing for Bill Barr to get confirmed, in your view?
RATCLIFFE: Well, my reaction is, I don't know Bill Barr, but the people that I hold in high esteem, like former Attorney General John Ashcroft and Michael Mukasey, hold him in high esteem.
Reputations only are good indicators of future conduct. But it's not a promise of that.
What I heard Lindsey Graham do there was get a promise from Bill Barr that, if he becomes the attorney general nominee, he will get to the bottom of this and that he's concerned about FISA abuse. And so I'm very heartened by that.
And I think the American people should be there's an attorney general nominee who is interested in finally getting to the bottom of all of this.
BARTIROMO: Yes, and I guess that empowers you, as a congressman on the Judiciary Committee, to hold him to account to pursue the truth.
RATCLIFFE: Absolutely.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
RATCLIFFE: We have been pushing hard on these issues.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
RATCLIFFE: And that's why it's critical.
BARTIROMO: And you want to see Sally Yates testify.
RATCLIFFE: I do.
That's the perfect example of why. Let's bring in the former deputy attorney general, Sally Yates, who signed the first FISA application. Let's ask why she verified an unverified dossier, according to her own deputy, Bruce Ohr.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
RATCLIFFE: Why she verified that Christopher Steele was reliable and credible, when her own deputy, Bruce Ohr, had questions about Christopher Steele's reliability and credibility.
None of that was disclosed to the FISA court. My guess is that Sally Yates is probably going to say, I wasn't aware of those facts. And if that's what she says, then there's going to be a whole bunch of work out there for a whole bunch of criminal defense lawyers.
BARTIROMO: Congressman, it's good to you see this morning. Thanks very much. We will be watching the developments.
RATCLIFFE: You bet. Thanks, Maria.
BARTIROMO: We will be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: Welcome back.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing to take some retribution against fellow Democrat New York Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, the House speaker blocking her bid to land a seat in the House Judiciary Committee after Rice opposed Pelosi's effort to regain the speakership.
Joining me right now, in an exclusive interview, is New Jersey Democratic Congressman Jeff Van Drew, a member of the Blue Dog Coalition and the Problem Solver Caucus.
It is good to see you, Congressman. Thanks so much for joining us.
REP. JEFF VAN DREW, D-N.J.: Oh, it's great to be with you. Thanks for having me.
BARTIROMO: So, the Blue Dog coalition, I wonder the strength of the coalition today.
Do you feel that there is a wing of the Democratic Party that wants to work with the president, that actually would like to come to the bargaining table and perhaps would vote for border security?
VAN DREW: Well, I think absolutely. I think there is a wing. And I think that we need to ensure that we negotiate as much as possible, as soon as possible, 24/7.
I believe it's been disgraceful to see our Coast Guard literally on soup lines and going to kitchens just to get food.
BARTIROMO: Sure.
VAN DREW: I think it's disgraceful to see that our corrections officers, our federal corrections officers, our FAA, all of this.
BARTIROMO: Well, I think everybody feels that way.
VAN DREW: That is -- well, if we all feel this way, I mean, if we really do feel this way, this is just not some amorphous philosophical issue.
These are real people that can't pay real bills. Then we have got to get this done. So, that doesn't mean we just...
BARTIROMO: Now, have you spoken -- have you spoken with Speaker Pelosi about this?
VAN DREW: A small amount, yes, I have, actually.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
VAN DREW: And I have spoken about it in caucus and spoken about it through both -- both of those caucuses that you have mentioned as well.
The bottom line is...
BARTIROMO: I guess what I'm asking is, are there -- is there a wing of your party that is pushing back against Speaker Pelosi saying, look, let's not go the resist route, and let's actually come up with border security?
VAN DREW: I think there is a part of the party that is beginning to really push this, because it's been taking so long, without question.
And I think you will see more and you will hear more. And it doesn't mean we're fractured and everybody is split apart. It just means that we need to get this done.
BARTIROMO: Right.
VAN DREW: And, real quickly, I think that there's ways to do that.
So, if we all know that we want to do something about DACA, we all know that we immediately want to open up our government, then we know that the problem is border security.
So let's sit down. Maybe we need a panel that both sides agree upon that would determine what the border security would look like.
BARTIROMO: Right.
VAN DREW: And then we move forward. But we just keep doing this.
BARTIROMO: Because -- because the truth is, the truth is, Congressman, there are some fractures within the party, by the way, on the left and the right.
But, specifically on the left, when the vote was happening for Nancy Pelosi, you voted no.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: So I want you to explain that for a moment, because initially, when you vote -- like John Ratcliffe, we just had on, he voted Kevin McCarthy. The majority obviously voted Nancy Pelosi, and that's why she's the speaker.
What were you trying to say when you just said no?
VAN DREW: I was trying to say that we needed -- I thought we needed a better process, that we really needed something that represented what at least my constituents wanted.
When I spoke to them, they said, we really hope that we get somebody new that doesn't have maybe some of the preexisting ideas and feelings and attitudes towards some of the folks that are there from the past.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: Are you willing -- are you willing to allocate some money toward some kind of a barrier fencing, given the fact that Nancy Pelosi already has a wall in her own state?
VAN DREW: Yes. I have made that clear.
We are a nation of the rule of law, and we do need some type of barriers. And, as we have all said ad nauseum, in some places, it may be electronic, some places, it may be drone, some places, it may be an actual wall, but we do need to ensure our security.
That is part of the deal, and it's something that we should do. And I think that there's a great number of Democrats as well that really believe that that is accurate.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
And, real quick, do you think $5.7 billion seems reasonable?
VAN DREW: If it's spent in an appropriate and reasonable way. And that's what we have to negotiate.
BARTIROMO: Yes. OK.
We have got to jump there.
VAN DREW: And it shouldn't take long.
BARTIROMO: Congressman, it's great to have you on the program. I hope you will come back soon. Thanks so much, sir.
(CROSSTALK)
VAN DREW: I will. Thank you.
BARTIROMO: Good to see you.
"Sunday Morning Futures," that will do it for us. Thanks for being here. Have a great weekend, everybody.
Next week in Davos, FOX Business. Join us.
Content and Programming Copyright 2019 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2019 ASC Services II Media, LLC. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of ASC Services II Media, LLC. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.