CNN "The Situation Room" - TRANSCRIPT House Returning To Session Soon As Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) Seizes Momentum; Biden Honors Heroes Two Years After January 6th Insurrection; Affidavit Reveals Chilling Details About Idaho Murders; Bills: Damar Hamlin's Breathing Tube Removed, Now Able To Talk; Soon: House Returns To Session Amid Historic Speaker Fight. Aired 6-7p ET
Interview
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Let's discuss what's going on with Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California. Congressman, as usual, thanks so much for joining us.
I will get to the January 6thth anniversary. But, first, let me get to the major historic events unfolding where you are in the House of Representatives. Do you believe Kevin McCarthy when he says he will have the votes tonight to end this historic standoff for speaker of the House?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Well, I always take, frankly, what Kevin McCarthy says with a big grain of salt. He may have the votes. We will find out, I think, in just a couple of hours. But what he will have the votes for is a very diminished speakership, one that may not be capable of governing their own members. It may lead to government shutdowns. It may lead to defaulting on our national debt. And so I have grave concerns about just what that speakership will mean.
I think the problem Kevin McCarthy has had is his own members don't really trust him. And part of that goes back to January 6th where he did a complete flip-flop supporting the insurrectionists, voting to overturn the election and criticizing Donald Trump, then going down to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring. And people in his own conference don't really think that he stands for anything beyond himself, and that's the problem he is having.
BLITZER: So, what does it say to you, Congressman, that on this second anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, he is poised he is likely to become speaker of the House?
SCHIFF: Well, you know, it tells me that you can get pretty far in politics without a core conviction. But I think it's going to make it impossible for him to govern. And we will see soon tests of just what he has given away and how he has empowered this most radical element of his conference.
I think that it's a mistake for the Republican conference to have cut the deals they did. I think it was Kevin McCarthy putting himself above the interests of his own conference in order to do it. And -- but time will tell. It does, I think, point out the structural problem and that is right now there's really only one functional political party, and we need two functional parties in order for a system to work, at least two functional parties.
We are totally unified on the Democratic side. On the Republican side, it's disunity, it's chaos. And sadly, I think there's more where that came from.
BLITZER: And presumably more to come. Let's see.
We saw President Biden today honor the people who safeguarded our democracy from election workers to the police officers who protected the Capitol on January 6th. How powerful is it, Congressman, to see that group, Democrats and Republicans, who rose to the moment?
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SCHIFF: You know, it really is so powerful and so moving.
And as you say, the threat continues. Those Georgia election workers who were honored today are still the subject of presidential lies and threats. What he put them through, what he continues to put them through is unconscionable. And those other folks, like Rusty Bowers, who put their values, who put their oath to their Constitution above their devotion to a person or a party, they are, I think, shining examples of political courage that ought to be emulated by others. And just to see the contrast between someone's principle like Rusty Bowers on the other hand and on the other hand the spectacle we see in the House of Representatives where you have people that lack that devotion to their oath having so much trouble getting this support even of their own people.
BLITZER: Congressman Adam Schiff, thanks so much for joining us.
SCHIFF: Thank you.
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