CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview With Maryland Congressman Anthony Brown

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

KEILAR: Well, just days after being stripped of his top-secret security clearance, new reporting about Jared Kushner and blurred lines at the White House. "

The New York Times" is reporting that Kushner's family business received half-a-billion dollars in loans from two companies after Kushner met with the heads of those companies right inside the White House.

And Kushner reportedly discussed giving the co-founder of one of those companies a job within the administration. Kushner, who is the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, was among a group of White House officials stripped of their top-level access after working on a temporary clearance for more than a year.

I want to bring in Democratic Congressman Anthony Brown of Maryland with us now. He is a retired Army colonel, Harvard-educated lawyer and the former lieutenant governor of Maryland.

And, sir, you are also on the House Ethics Committee. So, we appreciate you being with us.

REP. ANTHONY BROWN (D), MARYLAND: It's great to be on today.

KEILAR: So, Jared Kushner has had his security clearance downgraded, but we learned that there were four different countries that were considering using his financial woes and his lack of experience in government to try to manipulate him.

And then you have this latest bombshell about his meeting with bankers. Given the problems surrounding Kushner, do you believe that what he has done is something that is unethical?

BROWN: I think it is unethical. I think it also presents a risk to the security interests of this country. And, frankly, I think he out ought to be remove from the White House. He has demonstrated that, if you are not going to distance yourself

from your outside business interests and continue to take meetings with businesspeople who are going to provide loans to your company, you have got no business being in government, let alone the White House.

KEILAR: What is your reaction, though? Today, we just heard moments ago from Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, asked about Jared Kushner and really the stability of his role in the White House, and she made it really clear it is stable.

BROWN: Look, if Mr. Kushner was a member of Congress, I have no doubt that an ethics claim would probably be filed with the Ethics Committee. We would be looking at a conflict of interest.

He is a senior government official. He has got outside business interests. He is taking meetings with companies that are later giving him or his family's business large, outsized loans. That is, if not an actual, it is certainly a perceived conflict of interest.

And the best way for it to be addressed would be for Mr. Kushner to no longer work at the White House.

KEILAR: Let's talk about guns, because this meeting that we saw between President Trump and a bipartisan group of lawmakers yesterday was pretty stunning.

Do you think, when you listen to what he said, and I'm sure you were surprised by some of the things you heard, did you think that he sounded like he had a lot in common with you, that he might actually sound more like a Democrat than a Republican when it comes to gun control?

BROWN: Well, one of the things that the president suggested -- and he has suggested it before -- is to raise the age on purchasing or selling assault weapons. I filed a bill three days ago -- it is probably one of the few bipartisan bills that have been filed this Congress -- to restrict the access to guns.

And so I think that we can find common ground to raise from age 18 to 21 in order for someone to buy an assault weapon. That would put it on parity with what the age requirement to buy a handgun in this country.

KEILAR: So, rhetorically, at this point in time -- and we don't know what the policies are. We know that we have heard from the Senate side. Sounds like Republicans aren't planning on unveiling anything next week.

Rhetorically, there are a lot of similarities. But I do wonder, between you, between President Trump, what would have been the reaction if President Obama had said something like we heard Donald Trump yesterday where he said take the guns first and worry about due process second?

BROWN: Look, there would have been an uproar certainly among Republicans if President Obama had uttered those words.

But I think, here, we can find some common ground on a few narrow issues that I think there is common ground, like raising the age on purchasing assault weapons, banning bump stocks. I think after what we saw, what we -- the horrific carnage in Las Vegas, I think there is an overwhelming majority of members of the House that would support banning bump stocks.

And also background checks, if not universal, certainly enhanced background checks, so that we can make sure that those who shouldn't have access to a firearm don't. I think we can find some common ground, and that is what we need to work towards.

[15:25:06]

KEILAR: Senator Marco Rubio just announced his own bill. Of course, you have announced, introduced that bipartisan bill that you referenced.

But his bill, among it, the items in it are temporary gun restraining orders, which would allow someone to petition a court to block someone having access to guns.

What do you think about that? Is that something that you would support? Is that something that you think could pass the House, where Republicans have control?

BROWN: It is certainly something I can support. I think, in all too many of these incidents -- we certainly saw it in Florida at Parkland -- there are these red flags, these indicators that a person has some issues, often associated with mental health, although I don't want to suggest that everybody with mental health challenges presents a danger to society.

But we have seen red flags. And where family or friends or teachers or others in the community see red flags that might suggest that somebody will do harm to themselves or others, that they may be likely to obtain, if they don't already have, a firearm, I think we ought to be able to relax the standards where we can put a temporary halt, some sort of restraint to make sure that we are taking a close look, where necessary, remove the gun.

If it turns out, after a closer look, that there is no real threat, then the person ought to be able to retain the weapon. But I think I can get behind what Senator Rubio is talking about.

Can we get the entire House or a majority in the House of Representatives? I'm less optimistic, but certainly it is something we ought to be looking at doing.

KEILAR: Congressman Brown, thank you so much. We really appreciate your time today.

BROWN: Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source