CNN "The Lead With Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Kevin McCarthy

Interview

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BASH: Sara, thank you so much for all of that reporting.

You talked about Ridgecrest.

Joining me now on the phone is House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who represents that area and its surrounding areas in Congress.

Mr. Leader, thank you so much for calling in.

[16:05:01]

First, how serious is the damage in your district?

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Well, we're assessing it right now.

And as the reporter was just talking about, they have taken people out of the hospital. I was just talking to Mayor Peggy Breeden. They are taking people out of the hospital to assess the hospital, but they are -- reported about five different fires. These are gas leaks and others.

Now, in Ridgecrest, this is an eastern portion of Kern County. We have a Naval base there, China Lake Naval Weapons Center. And it's very important. So, they will be assessing the damage there as well.

But you have Bakersfield. And when you're talking about Los Angeles feeling it, that's more than two-and-a-half-hours away that they're feeling this. So, you have got to think how large a quake this is.

And it hasn't been just one, as you know. Earlier this week, we have had a little closer to L.A. and where this county is as well, Kern County, there's about 12 different earthquakes.

And if you live to California, you live through many of these. I have lived through many of them, but this one is different. This is stronger. This is -- when that Northridge earthquake, where highways fell down, that was stronger than this, but this is a significant earthquake.

And, right now, we're somewhat fortunate. There's not as much damage for how large a quake this is, but we're assessing all the damage now.

BASH: OK, let me tick through a couple of things that you just mentioned. First, the hospital. The fact that they are evacuating, again, just to assess damage, I mean, that's no small thing to evacuate a hospital.

MCCARTHY: No. No.

In this community, this is the hospital. And so this community -- this is out towards the Mojave Desert. The epicenter was Trona. And you think how far -- I was getting calls from people's buildings in L.A. shaking two-and-a-half-hours away.

But you have now got gas leaks going. You try to assess the highways as well, if there's cracks within there. So we have got the emergency units out there looking. We have got a lot of 911 calls.

But if you lived in Ridgecrest, things were coming off your shelves. This is a significant earthquake.

BASH: And gas leaks. You talk about gas leaks. It sounds very scary and is and possibly could be very scary.

It's something that people expect with earthquakes and then, of course, the aftershocks. How concerned are you about what could happen with those gas leaks?

MCCARTHY: Well, it's concern, but the gas company there, you have got to make sure you're shutting down the line where the quakes hit.

What is concerning, though, too is the number of aftershocks we had. And, normally, I'm no expert, but I have just lived through my life -- where you have a very big quake and then you have the other ones, there's usually different type of quakes, like a rolling one or a shaking.

This was more of a shaking one than a rolling one. And the large quake happened after we had one about 4.2. So that was concerning to me that the largest was a little later. I'm hopeful that was the largest one we're going to have.

And, normally, these aftershocks are a little less. But there are a number of aftershocks, more so than I feel that we have had in the past.

BASH: And quickly back to the hospital, you mentioned it's close to the Mojave Desert.

This is July. Bringing patients out of a hospital close to the desert means it's extremely hot.

MCCARTHY: Yes.

BASH: Are you concerned about the fact that people not only in and around this hospital, but in your district more broadly, are now likely most of them are going to be having to potentially deal without power?

MCCARTHY: It would be a real case. That's what we're evaluating right now.

I can't thank the first-responders enough and the help from the others. We also have the military base there that we have to assess that is very critical for our national defense for -- and it's the air corridor that we use, so all through there.

But you do want to make sure the safety of the patient, especially when there's other gas leaks -- there's none that have been reported yet in the hospital. But the one thing in California, we have to build to a certain code, and an earthquake code is one that we build to.

But this is so close to the epicenter and such a large quake that we do have to evaluate that before patients are allowed back in. If they are not, then we're really going to have to move people more than an hour away.

BASH: More than an hour away.

OK. You have mentioned a couple of times the Naval base. This is obviously in your district. They're assessing the damage, you said. What exactly does that mean? And talk a little bit about what this Naval base is all about.

MCCARTHY: Well, if you take the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, and you go down that air corridor door to Edwards Air Force Base as well, this is the epicenter of where this movement is.

This is more the testing of missiles and others. The labs there are very important. It's more in the air that they're testing. But you just want to make sure you evaluate all that, that it's that close.

But what's fortunate for us and for that city, how well the military and the city works together, the resources you have for both. And right now we want to make sure everybody's safe. We haven't had any reports of casualties, but we're just assessing, putting out the fires that we have, and making sure the buildings are still standing.

[16:10:01]

BASH: Can you explain -- you mentioned weapons and weapon -- missile testing?

That sounds pretty dangerous for a place that just had a major earthquake. Can you describe what's in -- what's actually in this base, without giving national security issues away?

(CROSSTALK)

MCCARTHY: What you test in this base is -- it's Mojave Desert. So there's not a lot.

It's the airspace. It's the 2508 airspace. So, what they do is they test the aircraft from Edwards Air Force Base. And China Lake is the mind power to building the technology.

And at times they will test it out there. But it's not a fear for any of that at this point...

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: So, you have not heard from any of the officials there?

(CROSSTALK)

MCCARTHY: No. We have checked in with everybody.

BASH: And they think it's -- everything is safe?

MCCARTHY: Yes. Yes.

BASH: Including more important -- I mean, the people, but also the weapons?

MCCARTHY: Yes.

BASH: OK.

MCCARTHY: Because the weapons, the weapons come on the airplanes, and the airplanes are not there.

BASH: Copy.

You talk about the fact that obviously you don't just represent this district. You're a lifelong California.

Was your district and this whole area prepared for this?

MCCARTHY: One thing, if you live in California, you're prepared, but you're never prepared enough.

My main city, Bakersfield, in the '50s got totally wiped out by an earthquake. You have been through the Northridge. And the timing of when an earthquake happens also matters about what happens.

When the Northridge hit, it was early in the morning, so there wasn't a lot of people on the road when the highways collapsed. We have continued to build to a higher standard to be able to sustain these.

But any time you get an earthquake coming up over 5, when it gets into the 6's, these are major quakes, when you remember what -- like the World Series in San Francisco and others.

Something, you don't get a report from the weather station that one is coming. That's the challenge that you have in an earthquake. And the other thing is, they happen. You have lived through many of them, but some of them are smaller. So you wonder. And the training is always there from the day you go into school and out, where you get to the doorway, what happens within a quake, that you prepare yourself that you have the food and water sitting in your house and others.

Right now, if I took a quick assessment, I think we're very fortunate. The size of this earthquake and what's being reported is less. I was in an earthquake that was over on the coast a number of years ago that had an epicenter, where the buildings started coming in on us. And one building collapsed and one person did die.

But the roads were up above. And it became a real challenge to travel. It was over in San Luis.

But, today, getting the rest of the assessments, it'll take a little time, because this is a large space within Mojave. But, right now, we're fortunate. And the teams are working very closely together, and everybody's cooperating.

BASH: Are your constituents still in danger?

MCCARTHY: The only telling is you do not know based upon, are there more quakes coming?

We're getting these aftershocks. And as long as these aftershocks are not as strong, we're in a pretty good place. But I think everybody working together right now, we get the gas leaks taken care of. We make sure the hospital is safe.

I think we're going to have damage here. And this is where we will have helpful. Probably, talking to the mayor, they may have to declare an emergency in Ridgecrest. And this is what -- we will come back and make sure that we're able to help them in their time of need.

BASH: And one last question, because we know you got to go back to working the phones.

The president, we understand from the White House that the president has been briefed on this. I know you speak to him pretty regularly. Have you heard from him or spoken him or anybody at the White House yet? I know it's early.

MCCARTHY: I was just talking to the president last night. We traded calls here going through. And I'm probably going to talk to him. But I thought I would talk to you and then give him a call back.

BASH: Well, thanks for having your priorities right.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

BASH: Appreciate it. Thank you so much. Good luck to you and all your constituents.

MCCARTHY: All right. Thank you.

BASH: And we really appreciate that update.

Thank you, Mr. Leader.

MCCARTHY: OK. Thank you. Bye.

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