GOP Congresswoman Lisa McClain explains why she supports impeachment inquiry of Biden

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• Amna Nawaz:

  The House Oversight Committee is one of several on tap to lead the Republican impeachment inquiry.

  Joining me now is a member of the committee, Republican Congresswoman from Michigan Lisa McClain.

  Congresswoman McClain, welcome back. Thanks for joining us.

• Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI):

  Thanks for having me.

• Amna Nawaz:

  So, a number of your fellow Republicans have already said they have not yet seen enough facts or any evidence that warrants an impeachment inquiry into the president right now. Have you seen those facts or evidence? You believe this is warranted right now?

• Rep. Lisa McClain:

  I do. I do.

  From the 1023s, from the SARs reports, from the witness testimony, I think there is enough evidence that would warrant an impeachment inquiry. And I think the other thing that we have to understand about this is, with this, this allows us to work in conjunction, as opposed to silos, with the different committees.

  And it will enable us to actually get the evidence that we haven't been able to get from these three-letter agencies. That's been kind of our frustration is, we have gotten stonewalled and delayed, which seems to be a tactic. And this hopefully will enable a quicker process to have some transparency to really show the facts. Is there enough evidence to go forward with an impeachment or is there just not any evidence there?

  But we have to be able to get the evidence to see what's out there before we make a determination of actual impeachment or not.

• Amna Nawaz:

  So, Congresswoman, the White House says they have provided a lot of information. The Treasury Department, the Department of Justice, the FBI have all handed over documents that have been requested over the last nine months that House Republicans have been looking into these issues.

  And your fellow Republicans, among them, Ken Buck, Dave Joyce, Dusty Johnson, Mike Lawler, all say you're not there yet on impeachment. Have you seen evidence they haven't?

• Rep. Lisa McClain:

  Well, we might not be there on impeachment, which I would maybe disagree, but I believe in due process, and I believe in following the facts.

  That's why we're opening this inquiry, so whatever we ask for, we are able to get, so the FBI, for example, can't just pick and choose when and what they send to us, right?

  I believe the American people want transparency, and that's exactly what we're after here. So that's where I'm at personally.

• Amna Nawaz:

  So we know that you're against a deadline when it comes to funding the government as well. The House has essentially, what, 11 working days now to pass 12 funding bills and avoid that shutdown.

  How much of that do you think informed Speaker McCarthy's decision to announce this inquiry today, knowing this is something that the Freedom Caucus has been asking for?

• Rep. Lisa McClain:

  Well, I think there are two separate issues.

  I think, one, we need to pay attention to our fiscal house. That is, in and of itself, extremely important. Listen, the government spends way too much money. We have got to get our spending under control. You have heard me talk about that time and time again.

  I don't truly see these going hand in hand. They're two separate issues. We can move forward with one and without the other, but we're back in session. I'm ready to go back to work. I know my colleagues are ready to go back to work. So let's get this done.

• Amna Nawaz:

  But are these two separate issues, to be fair? I mean, we know those far right Freedom Caucus members have been demanding an impeachment inquiry, and we know that they are — have a number of conditions on moving forward with funding bills.

• Rep. Lisa McClain:

  Well, I can share with you this.

  I don't want to speak for the Freedom Caucus, but I can tell you this. They're not looking for one or the other. I believe they're looking for an and. I believe the Freedom Caucus, which I agree with, we need to rein in government spending and we need to expose this culture of corruption.

  So whether they're integrated or not, I think we need to look at both of them.

• Amna Nawaz:

  A number of Republicans during the Trump impeachment processes said that those were a distraction from Congress doing the work it needed to do.

  Do you think this inquiry could also be a distraction?

• Rep. Lisa McClain:

  I believe in my colleagues, I believe in myself, that we're pretty good. I think we can handle both.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Congresswoman, if I may briefly, we know some members are threatening to move to remove Speaker McCarthy from his speakership for not granting the Freedom Caucus some of the things they have demanded.

  Do you think that he is in peril?

• Rep. Lisa McClain:

  Leader McCarthy has done an excellent job, I think, of navigating the waters up until this point. I don't — I don't have a sense that he is in peril. I don't know. I don't sit in on those Freedom Caucus meetings.

  But I do know this. Democracy is messy. And where I think we are stronger together as a conference is, we are very diverse. We come from very diverse districts. And one thing that Leader McCarthy has, I think, done an excellent job of is actually listening to all different factions of our conference.

  We have R-33 districts and then we have Biden-14 districts in our caucus. That's a very, very diverse caucus. And my hat off to Speaker McCarthy that has been able to at least listen and get input from all of these different representative governments that we have.

• Amna Nawaz:

  That is Congresswoman Lisa McClain, Republican from Michigan, joining us tonight.

  Congresswoman, thank you. Always great to have you on.

• Rep. Lisa McClain:

  You too.