CNN "State of the Union" - Transcript: Interview with Chrissy Houlahan

Interview

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REP. CHRISSY HOULAHAN (D-PA): Sure. And thanks for having me.

What I would say is, we first need to kind of look to the source of where this is coming from. This investigation or this audit is coming from a gentleman named Doug Mastriano. And he was present at the January 6th insurrection and he also has designs to serve as the next governor of the State of Pennsylvania. And of course, he has one person that he needs to impress and that is President Trump to be able to be successful and being able to gain that nomination for the Republican side of that ticket.

And so, I believe it's his interest to design this kind of audit, false audit to make sure that he gains the support of President Trump in that way. Unfortunately, this is a suppress to impress kind of tactic. And I think to your point, it's destructive, it's enormously destructive. In many ways, the call is coming from within the House in terms of ways that we are going to destroy our democracy and the people in it.

People really need to believe in the sanctity of their vote. People need to believe that their vote is -- will count. And this kind of opportunity to try to disdain political influence is really destructive to, not just Pennsylvanians, but to the nation at large.

TAPPER: You're an Air Force veteran. I wanted to ask you, President Biden is disputing reports that the intelligence community has concluded that the Afghan government could fall within six months of the U.S. withdrawal. You sit on the Foreign Affairs Committee. You sit on the Armed Services Committee. Based on what you've seen, how worried are you that the Afghan government will fall?

HOULAHAN: So, to be really honest, I am worried. And this is where we have the opportunity now to step in. President Biden has made his decision. The decision to withdraw has happened. And we are where we are. And so, right now, it's our obligation to make sure we're protecting civil society site in Afghanistan and we can do that through a number of ways. We can make sure that we're supporting the Afghan Defense Forces

through resources and money. We can make sure that we shoring up our support of vulnerable populations like women and children. And we can make sure that our State Department as well as USAID and UNFPA are well-funded and well-resourced to be able to support that very fragile society that exists right now.

[13:50:00]

TAPPER: President Biden says the U.S. accomplished its goal, which he defines as eliminating the terrorist threat in Afghanistan. How long do you think Afghanistan will no longer be a safe harbor for terrorists given the fact that U.S. troops have left and the Taliban is taking control?

HOULAHAN: So, frankly, all over the world there are opportunities for safe harbor for terrorists, not just in Afghanistan, but other parts of the world, in Africa and Asia. We have our hands full of those kinds of opportunities.

But if it's OK, I'd like to sort of pivot over to the real importance of supporting those vulnerable communities, women particularly. If we're able to support the progress that we've made because of the decades we've been in Afghanistan, to be able to make sure women continue to be a part of the solution, I think we have an opportunity to keep the Afghan society safer.

Women have been, in the last couple decades, involved in the release of hostages. Afghani women have helped negotiate the release of hostages and prisoners. They've been involved in negotiation with insurgent leaders of the Taliban.

And so, even though I know people think, why should we protect women and children in Afghanistan? The reality is our country is safer, the world is safer when women are involved in the solutions and when women are engaged in their societies.

TAPPER: Obviously, the safety of Afghan women and girls is a top priority for you. I want to hear your response to something that then Presidential Candidate Joe Biden said about this issue in an interview last year. Take a listen.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can think of 10 countries where women and/or children and/or people are being persecuted or being hurt. But the idea of us going to being able to use our armed forces to solve every single internal problem that exists throughout the world is not within our capacity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But then, don't you bear some responsibility for the outcome if the Taliban ends up back in control and women end up losing the rights?

BIDEN: No, I don't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: What is your response? I mean, that is the now commander-in- chief saying that he bears no responsibility for what will happen to Afghan women and girls if the Taliban take over after he has withdrawn U.S. troops?

HOULAHAN: So, I think that the United States is a leader in the world. And I think it's our obligation with our power, both soft and hard to be helpful to making sure we have an inclusive and equitable world. I think that it is in our national best interest to support societies, civil societies that are inclusive and that allow women to be a very large part of the society. We are indeed 51 percent of the population globally.

So, I would say, I think it is important through soft power, at this point in time, because we have withdrawn from Afghanistan, that we are helpful in maintaining the gains that we've made with our presence in that area.

TAPPER: Air Force veteran, Democratic congresswoman from the great county of Pennsylvania, Chrissy Houlahan, thanks for joining us. We appreciate it.

HOULAHAN: Thank you.

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