CNN "The Lead with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview with Michael McCaul

Interview

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TAPPER: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much for that report. Appreciate it.

In our politics lead, as restrictive, voting rights legislation sweeps through the Texas Legislature, so is coronavirus. A group of Texas Democrats flew to Washington D.C. to deny the Republicans quorum, so as to prevent that legislation from being voted on in passing.

Since then, six of those Texas House Democrats have tested positive for coronavirus. Because all of them are fully vaccinated, thankfully, none of them have severe symptoms.

Joining us now, Republican Congressman Mike McCaul from Texas.

Congressman, thanks for joining us.

The Texas Tribune reports that a Republican state legislator has offered to charter a private plane for these infected Democratic state lawmakers to get back to Texas and devote. Could they theoretically be brought back against their will?

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): Well, no, I don't think so. But I do think they have a responsibility to do their job.

I mean, Jake, I don't -- I'm in the -- we're in the minority up here and Congress, and I don't always like what Nancy Pelosi puts on the floor. But I don't run away from my job, and I don't cut and run. I will show up on the floor and vote elections. Do you have consequences?

And I think what they need to do is go back in the special session and vote their position. And then, that's what democracy is all about. And they want to go back home to my state of Texas and make the case why they should be in the majority, then that's what they should do. But I think running away from your job and your responsibilities is not the answer.

TAPPER: Now, since you and I last spoke about this legislation, some of the more onerous provisions have been removed.

MCCAUL: Right.

TAPPER: There was a piece, pardon me, that would have basically blocked the souls to the polls provision. That's not there anymore. There was a piece that would have made it easier for elections to be overturned, that's been removed. But still, this legislation bans drive thru voting, it bans counties from allowing 24 hours of voting if they want, it bans officials from sending out absentee ballot applications, just applications, if they're not specifically requested. I mean, theoretically, why make it harder to vote? I mean, Texas's elections seem to go pretty well, they seem to go pretty well for Republicans.

MCCAUL: Well, listen, you know, fundamentally, what this bill is I understand it I'm not in the state legislature does is when you vote in person, you have to show and identify that you're the person that's legally can vote, and you have to have that identification.

This essentially ensures that people that have mail-in ballots, mail- in votes are the same person that they say they are through identification. I would argue what, we do have early voting in Texas, and it's been expanded and it was expanded under COVID. I think early voting is a good idea.

And when you vote in person, you can always ensure it's the same person. When you have mail one, we need to put these provisions in to make sure it's the same person.

You know in Delaware, the President's home state, they don't even have early voting. And so, you know, like, each state varies, as you know, under the Constitution. Founding Fathers gave the states that prerogative.

TAPPER: Let's turn to Afghanistan and issue you and I talked about a lot. The Biden administration is launched a plan to evacuate the Afghan allies, translators and others who helped us with crucial services during the war. Now, we're told about 700 of these allies and 1,800 of their family members, so 2,500 total are expected to arrive at Fort Lee in Virginia. But that still leaves 10s of 1000s of other Afghan allies and their families in Afghanistan, what's being done about them?

MCCAUL: Well, that's the big question, Jake. And look, I think, look, even pressing this issue, I have to -- I think it's had an influence on the administration to try to get these interpreters who works with our special forces. And we promised them we would protect them and give them an immigrant visa.

"No one left behind" is a phrase. And I'm glad the administration has finally woken up to this fact and they are getting the first 700 that have been fully vetted in the process. So that's a positive step.

[17:20:00]

However, to your point, I mean, there's about 9,000 interpreters, probably total when it comes interpreters and contractors and Afghan partners, about 20,000, not to include family, that doesn't include family members, we'll be voting on a provision to raise the cut by 8,000 more this week, which I'll be supportive.

But the administration really went into this decision, I think, in some ways, very haphazardly, without planning for the aftermath of what will happen, particularly when our military pulls out. And I think part of it is getting these people that worked with our special forces at a country, I'm glad to 700 are coming to Fort Lee in Virginia.

But we need to find a safe third country that is close to the Afghan area, one of our allies in that area, where they can be fully processed. This will take probably one to two years. Many of them haven't even filed their applications yet.

TAPPER: So, do you support going to one of these third countries that the Biden administration has talked about? Because there was also some talk about letting them go to Guam, and the governor of Guam, which is a U.S. territory has even said that he welcomes that.

But the issue there is that once they're there, they would have, even if there -- they failed the vetting process, they would have more of a claim to apply for asylum because they're on U.S. territory, on U.S. ground. So you don't support the Guam prospect, the Guam plan, you like the third country idea?

MCCAUL: Well, that would be my preference. I mean, if we can save their lives, and sure, Guam, it would be effective. But I think it's a U.S. territory, therefore, the Constitution applies, as you talked about, and we don't know about their vetting.

We do know the 700 have been fully vetted and cleared. But I think it's important that we find, you know, there's some in Kazakhstan for a while, they're talking about UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, other neighboring countries where they could be properly vetted, without all the full protections of the Constitution.

And in the event, we get a bad apple, for instance, remember, this is a very dangerous part of the world with a lot of dangerous actors. So we don't want to bring anybody in the United States that hasn't been fully vetted.

TAPPER: Yes. You've called President Biden's plan to withdraw poorly planned, and you've said he'll quote own the images of innocent Afghans are slaughtered. The State Department spokesman said this afternoon, quote, "credible reports of atrocities are emerging right now." Horrible news. How would you have ended America's longest war?

MCCAUL: I would have kept a small residual force at one of our basis, probably in southern Afghanistan, as we did. We fully pulled out of Iraq. You saw the consequences of ISIS, the Caliphate. Syria, I was able to argue successfully within President Trump to keep residual. I would have done the same here, even a small footprint for stability. Whereas now you're going to see a nightmare unfolding, where the Taliban has already taken huge swaths of territory.

The Presidential Palace just got fired rockets at the palace today. And also, we're getting reports the Taliban are sending letters to the (INAUDIBLE) to get a list of all women between the ages of 15 to 40 to be married off to the Taliban. I think what we're going to see with the women unfolding, I think it's going to be will be the toughest visuals to look at. TAPPER: Yes, I hope you're wrong, but I fear you're right.

Republican Congressman Mike McCaul of Texas, thank you so much. Appreciate your time, sir.

MCCAUL: Yes, thank you, Jake.

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