Page 15 - Oversight Function News Today

But congress has an oversight function. you have an administration that has provided massive tax cuts to corporations and businesses. the american public has a right to know what the financial interests are of the people who are passing those policies. we have a right, frankly, to have the tax returns of howard schultz when hes going to run for president or anyone running for president. thats the oversight of the united states congress. >> well, you mentioned shultz. one of the things that exist...

But congress has an oversight function. the administration has provided massive tax cuts. the american public has a right to know what the financial interests are of the people passing those policies. we have a right to have the tax returns of howard shultz when hes going to run for president or anyone running for president. thats the oversight of the united states congress. >> well, you mentioned shultz. one of the things that exists in current election law is a lot of information about donatio...

Grandstanding, especially among people new to the congress, people who want to stake their claim on this hearing. what if it was under seal for a finite amount of time? arent there ways around this other than go to hell coverage on all the networks and live tv coverage? >> i think they could do portions of it behind closed doors and closed session perhaps as an accommodation to the special counsels office to explore areas like the trump tower moscow deal that we know are under investigation, act...

Increase transparency. and i think in some ways it could be a capitulation to the presidents intimidation tactics to say were not going to do this in public. and by the way, im not sure that really saves michael cohen much of a headache at all. we still have the president of the united states making threats against his family. and that wont go away, brian, if its an open or closed session. >> and a quick question that people have asked me, are you going learn any more in a hearing room than all ...

Going learn any more in a hearing room than all the conceivable questions the feds are going to come up with to ask this guy? is there a chance that someone will come at it from an unusual angle and ask that one key question that becomes the sound bite on broadcasts like this one? >> from my perspective, absolutely. and, more importantly, congress is an independent branch of government and they have an oversight function, an oversight role to understand the leverage the russian federation has ov...

Congress. and i wouldnt be completely surprised to see a subpoena at some point. >> okay, jeremy, youre a veteran of capitol hill. what would be the problem if cummings said you know what, were going to do this in closed session. it would kill the television ratings. it would reduce the theater of it. it would reduce the chance of grandstanding, especially among people new to the congress, people who want to stake their claim on this hearing. what if it was under seal for a finite amount of time...

Sanctions relief from vtb bank and the other russian financial institutions. these are questions that have to be put not just to trump and his association bus michael cohen when he testified in february. not just protect bob mueller, but allow congress to do its oversight function. >> where is congress? all of these financial ties, trump tower moscow, lindsey graham wasnt planning on staying there, nor was mitch mcconnell. where were they when the president attacks the fbi on twitter? when he ca...

My next guest is why thats important. and i will. but thank you for pointing out who else was in the room, because thats helpful. john roberts, thank you. ken starr, former whitewater independent counsel, and author of the book "contempt: a memoir of the clinton investigation," is with me now. good to see. lets start with the movement of those notes. we know early in the administration there were phone calls that were leaked, that the president was having with leaders. so we understand the leaki...

For the white house. one, the white house counsels office is not fully staffed. it hasnt been for a long time. they are about to get -- if the paperwork is not already going from capitol hill to the white house, it is going to be soon with subpoenas and other matters, so the oversight function of the house of representatives is much, much more dangerous and important than any talk of impeachment and a lot of wise democrats in this town and elsewhere are urging house democrats not to talk about i...

Discussion in terms of the law. >> reporter: garrett, thats a significant statement from the soon to be speaker. one that the white house is certainly watching and has heard and all of it comes as democrats prepare today to take on more oversight power just on pennsylvania avenue. >> reporter: yeah. let me put this in the context of how this will all align with how democrats plan this oversight function here. democrats have been telling me for weeks they want to focus on the things the trump adm...