Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told host Chuck Todd he thought it would be “appropriate” for the House Intelligence Committee to vote to release a memo that has been the focus of much attention in recent days.
That memo allegedly has implications regarding American democracy and involves the Department of Justice, the FBI and President Donald Trump.
Partial transcript as follows:
TODD: Do you want the president to declassify this memo that was written by Republican staff on the House Intelligence Committee?
MCCARTHY: Look, they have been doing their investigation. They found something out. I’ve gone down. I’ve read it. The committee voted. This is the process. They voted to allow members to read it. They have the ability to vote to move it forward just like being– and then it would go to the executive branch.
TODD: Why are they afraid to send this to the Justice Department for review?
MCCARTHY: Well, aren’t we separate but co-equal? Don’t we have a view? Don’t we have the responsibility for oversight? And the Justice Department will be able to see it because you have the executive branch and you have the legislative branch. And as the legislative branch looks at it, it will send it to the executive branch beforehand. They have the approval whether to declassify and put it forward. So they will have the opportunity–
TODD: Do you want the president–
MCCARTHY: –with the committee.
TODD: –do you want the president to declassify this memo?
MCCARTHY: Having read this memo, I think it would be appropriate that the public has full view of it.
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