CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: Bowe Bergdahl

Interview

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COSTELLO: My next guess dismisses much of the criticism as partisan game-playing and is appalled by what she views as demonizing a captured American soldier.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky joins us now from Washington.

Welcome, Congresswoman.

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Many of your fellow Democrats also criticize this five-for- one swap and the White House's lack of notifying Congress beforehand. Why do you think this is partisan?

SCHAKOWSKY: I think most of the criticism has come from the Republican side. Even from people who in the past have said they really want to see Bowe Bergdahl taken back, that we should retrieve him from the Taliban. And suddenly when it became clear that it was successful, then the outrage began. And people who are tweeting in favor and saying what a blessing it is that he is coming home, removed those tweets and changed sides completely.

But listen, we don't do background checks on soldiers before we bring them back. One of my colleagues said, he had forfeited his right to be rescued and to be traded for, because he had deserted, which, of course, has not even been closely proven yet. Everyone in America is innocent until proven guilty.

And so I just this whole idea -- and this notification issue. Really, you're going to tell a secret to 435 people? You know, I --

COSTELLO: But Congresswoman, I mean, the administration told 80 or 90 people in the White House. So why not inform one member of Congress that you are going to do this controversial swap?

SCHAKOWSKY: Actually, the president made it very clear in his signing statement on the National Defense Authorization Act that that 30-day notification period, that he would use his executive authority if it had to do with a detainee transfer.

Now, 90 people actually may have been involved in this operation. And it's a very sensitive operation. And one would have expected -- I certainly would have expected -- that we would see it as a good thing that a soldier that had been in captivity by the Taliban for five years was brought home. That's what we do for our soldiers, for Americans, for their families.

COSTELLO: But members of Congress were informed about Osama bin Laden and the raid about to go down. So isn't that (ph) a much more momentous than the rescue of this soldier?

SCHAKOWSKY: Actually, that is not true. I'm on the intelligence committee. And the day before the Osama bin Laden operation, we were not told anything about this operation taking place.

For years, Congress has known that this has been in the works. I think the idea that making a big deal about informing in days or the moment of this operation is really grabbing at straws for something to criticize the president for.

I think the real issue is that the fundamental belief that we leave no American soldier behind is the one that dominates here. And that I'm very happy to see Bowe Bergdahl is back. Now, we will find out exactly what happened, which is proper. But we don't want to leave to the Taliban his punishment, if such is deserved.

COSTELLO: Chuck Hagel is going to testify before a Senate committee. Do you think he will get a fair hearing?

SCHAKOWSKY: I think Chuck Hagel will be very powerful. And I think that everyone I have heard from the administration, including military people, have been very clear, about the -- in fact, it was called reprehensible when some of my colleagues were saying that, well, Bowe didn't really deserve this. And we shouldn't have done it. And this was bad --

Look, the exchange of prisoners is common in every conflict, not only here but around the world. Our Israeli friends released more than 1,000 prisoners for one Gilad Shalit. And the Israeli people were glad that they did. And we have throughout our history done these kinds of exchanges, and not with the same kind of precautions we're doing this time, along with the Qataris, that are going to monitor these five Taliban people who are released.

COSTELLO: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, thank you so much for your insight. I appreciate it.

SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you.

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