‘SHOCKING’: Rep. Garcia says White House’s letter to probe him is ‘clearly a THREAT’

Democrats over on Capitol Hill, they are beginng to get a sense. of just how the next two years are going. to go as they attempt to investigate. the Trump administration in a brand new letter. from the White House counsel to. Congressman Robert Garcia, who, as you know, is the top Democrat on the House Oversight. Committee. They threaten criminal investigations. of Democrats looking into Trump, into his family and into his allies. Congressman Robert Garcia joins us now. Congressman, I want to know how did you. first find out.

about this. I think first it's shocking that the White House would. send. a letter that is clearly a threat. to the Congress, a threat to me, when all we're focused on is investigation and. rooting out corruption. The reality is that we're not going to be. INTIMIDATED BY THE PRESIDENT. INTIMIDATED BY THE PRESIDENT. WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE INTIMIDATED BY ANYONE IN. OUR WORK.

OUR WORK IS ABOUT TAKING ON GOVERNMENT. CORRUPTION, MAKING LIFE MORE AFFORDABLE IT'S GOING. TO GO THROUGH COSTS BY ACTUALLY GOING AFTER. THE CROOKS AND CROOKS AND. CRIMINALS THAT ARE CAUSING HARM. AND WRITING GOOD LEGISLATION TO. STOP THE CORRUPTION FROM HAPPENING IN THE IN THE. FUTURE, SO IT'S OUTRAGEOUS THAT DONALD. TRUMP WANTS TO STOP. ANY SORT OF OVERSIGHT AND CERTAINLY. HE'S TRYING TO STOP US MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. FOR DOING OUR JOB THAT IS IN THE CONSTITUTION. I'M SURE THERE AREN'T WHITE HOUSES THAT ARE HAPPY TO. YOU ARE GOING TO APPROACH THE.

WORK AT ALL? IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANY. WAY WE APPROACH THE WORK. LOOK, IT'S IMPORTANT AT THIS. MOMENT THAT THOSE OF US IN CONGRESS. THAT WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO TAKE. ON THESE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, THEY SPOKE CLEARLY AT THE LAST. ELECTION, THEY WANT US TO FOCUS ON. LOWERING. THE COSTS OF GAS, GROCERIES, RENT AND THEY WANT US TO TAKE ON. CORRUPTION WHEREVER WE MAY FIND. THAT IS A REAL ISSUE THAT PEOPLE.

CARE ABOUT AND THEY WANT US TO TAKE ON. AND THE FACT THAT NOW THE PRESIDENT IS. THREATENING ME, THREATENING OVERSIGHT, OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SAYING THAT. SOMEHOW HE'S GOING TO TAKE US ON. OR WE ARE ENGAGING IN CRIMINAL. ACTIVITY BY CONDUCTING OUR JOBS WHICH ARE IN. THE CONSTITUTION IS AGAIN JUST SOMEONE THAT. HAS BELIEVED IN AN AUTHORITARIAN STATE. THAT WE ALL SHOULD BEND THE KNEE TO DONALD. TRUMP. WE'RE NOT BENDING THE KNEE TO. WE ARE GOING TO STAND UP,

DO OUR JOBS AND TAKE ON CORRUPTION. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE FIND IT IN. THE ADMINISTRATION. IN THE LETTER, THE WHITE HOUSE. COUNCIL WRITES THAT CONGRESS IS. REQUIRED TO IDENTIFY A LEGITIMATE LEGISLATIVE. PURPOSE UNDERLYING ITS INVESTIGATIVE ACTS. FAILURE TO DO SO IN THIS CONTACT. REPRESENTS A CLEAR ABUSE OF POWER AND AN. AFFRENT TO OUR CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM OF. GOVERNMENT AND TO THE RULE OF LAW, ARE YOU PREPARED TO POINT TO THOSE LEGITIMATE. LEGISLATIVE PURPOSES? OF COURSE, THE POINT OF.

OVERSIGHT IS TO ACTUALLY GET WE WANT TO GET TO A. LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. WE INVESTIGATE SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY WRITE. GOOD LAWS TO STOP CORRUPTION. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE. WRITING NEW LAWS SO THAT THE. PRESIDENT'S FAMILY IN THE FUTURE DOES. NOT SOMEHOW TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM, ISN'T PROFITING OFF THE PRESIDENCY. WE WANT TO WRITE NEW LAWS. SO AFTER THE JEFFREY EPSTON INVESTIGATION AND THE. HORRORS. THAT HAPPENED TO SO MANY YOUNG. CHILDREN AND GIRLS, THAT WE HAVE NEW LAWS TO protect women. across this country, to protect people that go to.

their own government and report. these horrific crimes. And so the goal of oversight should always be. about being able to write new laws. and legislation to TO STOP THE ABUSES. OF POWER FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. AND MAYBE DONALD TRUMP OR HIS. LAWYERS DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THAT'S THE WORK THAT WE'RE. ENGAGED IN EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND NO LETTER OR THREAT FROM THE. PRESIDENT IS GOING TO STOP THAT WORK.

I THINK DONALD TRUMP HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR. THAT HE, BY ELEVATING THE CHIEF OF STAFF, HE INTENDS TO CONTINUE THE POLICIES THAT HE'S. HAD OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. STEPHEN MILLER IS THE. CITIZEN THAT IS THE ARCHITECT OF THIS HORRIFIC. KIND OF DEPORTATION AGENDA AND SCHEME THAT HAS. BEEN UNLEASHED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, KIDNAPPING FOLKS ON THE STREET. AMERICAN CITIZENS HAVE DIED.

STAFF AND LEADING POLICY, LEADING THE ADMINISTRATION, FOR US, IT'S A SIGN THAT THE. PRESIDENT DOESN'T WANT TO. actually work to lower costs. He's not interested in working. with Democrats to actually deliver. for the American public. He is doubling down on an agenda of cruelty, on an agenda of corruption, and on an agenda of getting folks to do. whatever he wants. And so we are going to continue to take. on Stephen Miller, to take on his actions and his direct impact.

on what's happening across the country, especially as it relates to ICE and DHS. And he can expect that not just the oversight. committee, but Jamie Raskin at Judiciary, Benny Thompson at DHS. We're all going to be looking. at the abuses that Stephen Miller has.