GOP Rep. Leonard Lance: I Can Be A Check On Donald Trump | All In

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH ME. JOINING ME NOW, CONGRESSMAN
LEONARD NANCE OF NEW JERSEY. ARE YOU GLAD TO SEE BOB MUELLER
NAMED TO THIS POSITION? >> I THINK IT'S A FINE DECISION
BY THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND I'M SURE THAT MR. MUELLER
WILL DO AN EXCELLENT JOB, CHRIS. >> ARE YOU TROUBLED BY THE
REPORTING OF WHAT COMEY APPARENTLY WROTE IN A MEMO ABOUT
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ASKING HIM TO ESSENTIALLY
STOP PURSUING AN INVESTIGATION OF HIS FIRED NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER? >> THAT'S WHY I THINK WE NEED TO
HAVE DIRECTOR COMEY COME TO CAPITOL HILL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
WITH OPEN TESTIMONY, AND I'M CERTAINLY WILLING TO LISTEN TO
THAT TESTIMONY. AND OBVIOUSLY THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE DESERVE THE TESTIMONY OF DIRECTOR COMEY.
>> IF THAT WERE TRUE, WOULD THAT BE OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE TO
YOUR MIND? >> THAT'S AN OPEN QUESTION.
I, OF COURSE, WOULD BE A GRAND JUROR IF THERE WERE SUCH AN
ACTION ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE, AND SO I DON'T WANT TO
PREJUDICE MYSELF AT THIS TIME. BUT I CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THAT
THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER. AND, CHRIS, I TAKE MY
RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY. I WAS THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE
HOUSE TO SUGGEST THAT JEFF SESSIONS SHOULD RECUSE HIMSELF
IN ANY MATTER REGARDING RUSSIA, AND I'M PLEASED OF THE DECISION
OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL. AND I THINK IT PROVES THE POINT
THAT THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL IS ACTING IN THE BEST INTERESTS
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> DO YOU THINK JEFF SESSIONS
VIOLATED HIS OWN RECUSAL BY WRITING A MEMO AFFIRMING A
DECISION TO FIRE THE MAN WHO IS INVESTIGATING THE RUSSIA
CONNECTION? >> I THINK THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE,
BUT THAT'S WHY I THINK IT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT THIS DECISION,
THIS SPECIAL COUNSEL DECISION, BE MADE BY --
>> SO YOU THINK IT IS POSSIBLE THAT JEFF SESSIONS VIOLATED HIS
OWN RECUSAL IN TAKING THAT ACTION?
>> THAT IS POSSIBLE, YES. >> DO YOU -- HERE'S WHAT I CAN'T
UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY ON THE HILL RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT'S
UNDERNEATH ALL THIS, AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE DOWNSIDE EXPOSURE
YOU ALL HAVE IS TREMENDOUS. IT'S ALMOST BOUNDLESS UNLESS
YOU'RE 1,000% CONFIDENT THAT NOTHING MORE IS GOING TO COME
OUT. ARE YOU 1,000% CONFIDENT NOTHING
MORE IS GOING TO COME OUT? >> I AM NOT, CHRIS.
I WANT THE ENTIRE FACTS AND TRUTH TO COME OUT.
>> ISN'T THAT TERRIFYING? >> NO, I DON'T THINK THE TRUTH
IS EVER TERRIFYING, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF THE WHOLE SITUATION. AND THAT IS WHY I THINK THAT
THIS WAS AN APPROPRIATE MOVE BY THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
TODAY. I ALSO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE
TWO INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES AND, OF COURSE, YOU'VE JUST HAD
SENATOR WYDEN, WHO IS ON THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IN THE
SENATE, AND I THINK THAT THEY ARE GOING ABOUT THEIR WORK
APPROPRIATELY AND IN A BIPARTISAN CAPACITY.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ON CAPITOL HILL FROM REPUBLICANS
THAT WE'VE GOT TO PUT THIS ASIDE SO WE CAN GET BACK TO THE HEALTH
CARE BILL, THAT WE CAN GET BACK TO TAX REFORM.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT? >> I DIDN'T VOTE FOR THE HEALTH
CARE BILL ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE.
I WAS ONE OF 20 REPUBLICANS NOT TO VOTE FOR IT.
I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THE SENATE TAKES UP THIS ISSUE.
BUT I SUGGEST THAT THE SENATE MOVE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION
FROM WHAT OCCURRED IN THE HOUSE, AND I KNOW THE SENATE IS WORKING
ON THAT. AND I WAS INVOLVED IN A MEETING
TODAY WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, AND THE ECONOMIC
ADVISER REGARDING TAX REFORM. BUT I THINK THOSE ISSUES WILL
TAKE SOME TIME, CHRIS. AND CERTAINLY WE SHOULD BE
INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE AS WELL REGARDING THE INVESTIGATION.
>> FINAL QUESTION IS THIS. THERE ARE PEOPLE WATCHING WHO
SAY TWO OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS. ONE IS IF HILLARY CLINTON HAD
TAKEN THESE SAME ACTIONS, THE REPUBLICANS WOULD ALREADY HAVE
DRAFTED ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT. AND, NUMBER TWO, IS THERE
ANYTHING THE PRESIDENT COULD DO THAT WOULD MAKE REPUBLICANS IN
CONGRESS ESSENTIALLY CONDEMN HIM, REIN HIM IN, PRODUCE
OVERSIGHT? WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE?
>> I WOULD NOT HAVE SUGGESTED ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
REGARDING SECRETARY CLINTON IF SHE HAD ENGAGED IN THE DISCHARGE
OF MR. COMEY. I CERTAINLY THINK WE SHOULD GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF ANY ISSUE. AND THEN REGARDING THE
PRESIDENT, I SUPPORT HIM WHEN I AGREE WITH HIM, AND I DO NOT
SUPPORT HIM WHEN I DISAGREE WITH HIM, AS, FOR EXAMPLE, I DID ON
THE HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION. >> THAT'S A SORT OF SUBSTANTIVE
AGREEMENT AND A VOTE HERE OR THERE.
THERE'S A MORE PROFOUND CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION WHICH IS
THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THAT CONGRESS PROVIDE THE
CONSTITUTIONAL CHECK ON THE PRESIDENT THAT MAY BE NECESSARY.
AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS ARE YOU WILLING TO DO THAT?
>> CERTAINLY I AM WILLING TO BE A CHECK AND BALANCE ON EITHER OF
THE OTHER BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH, AND LET THE FACTS DETERMINE THE FUTURE I

GOP Rep. Leonard Lance: I Can Be A Check On Donald Trump | All In | MSNBC

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