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CNN This Morning

Rep. James Comer (R-KY) is Interviewed about Congressional Investigations; Heavy Rain and Mountain Snow in West; Curious Cat Interrupts World Cup Newser. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired December 08, 2022 - 06:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[06:31:30]

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Now, tell me that's not a beautiful sunrise there.

It's a very busy morning, and welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING, everyone. Here's what's coming up.

Up next, Congressman James Comer will joins us as the party is already warning about investigations into the Biden administration. We're going to discuss that.

Jennifer Lawrence drawing criticism over a comment about female action heroes. What did she say that lit up the internet?

Plus, "The New York Times" bracing for a major walk out that they haven't seen in decades. What is behind the move?

Kaitlan.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And with Republicans set to take control of the House next year, they are going to get control of the chambers' committee assignments, and with that new power, investigative power, Republicans say that a key priority is going to be launching investigations. Their list is long. It includes everything from big tech and the border, to Covid origins and funding with Ukraine and the Biden family.

So, joining us now is James Comer, the ranking member and soon to be chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

Good morning and thank you for joining us.

REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): Good morning.

COLLINS: At least -- I want to start about your investigative priorities. I know you have a lot of them. And so we want to talk about those pursuits in a moment.

But first, I want to ask you about the news overnight that at least two more documents with classified markings were found during a search of a storage site that belonged to former President Trump.

Are you concerned that Mar-a-Lago is not the only place that the former president kept classified material?

COMER: Well, as you know, the Oversight Committee has jurisdiction over the National Archives. We used to have a very close relationship with them. Ever since the raid at Mar-a-Lago, we've requested information and haven't received anything. They keep referring us to the Department of Justice. So, I really don't know enough to comment on it. Obviously, if you're not properly handling classified material, that - that would be a concern.

COLLINS: And a concern that he's not also complying with a subpoena, it seems like, that said all that material should be returned to the National Archives, to the federal government, right?

COMER: Well, from what I read, I think his people found the documents and notified the Archives, or whomever. So, you know, I don't want to -- certainly not going to defend the indefensible or anything, but, at the end of the day, obviously anyone in Congress should be concerned about the storage of classified documents.

But it is frustrating for me to have jurisdiction over the National Archives and I have no idea what type of documents we're talking about. You know, classified can be a wide range of variations. So, we don't know. Just on the surface of things, it would obviously be concerning.

COLLINS: You condemned the former president's dinner with a prominent anti-Semite. You know, this week he suggested terminating the Constitution. This week his candidate in Georgia lost decisively. Putting all of those things together over the last several weeks, do you still think that he's the right leader for the Republican Party?

COMER: Look, I believe that we have a very deep bench in the Republican Party. The former president's very popular in my home state of Kentucky, obviously. I think he did a lot of good things, a lot of good policies during his four years. But, at the end of the day, we're going to have a primary. There are a lot of candidates that have expressed an interest. It's very early, so I think it's really too early to speculate on who will be the front runner or who will be the Republican nominee in 2024.

COLLINS: OK, so you're not prepared to say that you'll endorse him for president or anything like that?

COMER: No, I -- I'm staying out of the presidential election. We're focused on taking over the Oversight Committee. We have no shortage of oversight demands in this building. So, that's going to be my focus over the next few months.

[06:35:03]

COLLINS: Yes, and you are about to become the chairman. I know, of course, you were selected yesterday officially.

You have said that you want to investigate as many as 40 to 50 different topics. What are your top three priorities, though?

COMER: Well, we're very concerned about spending. Obviously, Congress, over the last three years, so that would span two administrations, in the name of Covid, we've had record spending. And, unfortunately, we haven't had a whole lot of guardrails on a lot of the Covid money, whether it be the state and local money, whether it be the PPP loan program, and certainly the unemployment insurance program.

So, we have a lot of reports of waste, fraud, and abuse. We know some specific examples. We've been digging while we were in the minority. We certainly now, in January, will have a lot more authority to be able to obtain information.

So, I believe our first hearing will be about Covid funds. We certainly want to try to identify any waste and if there's any possibility to claw it back, we want to do that. So that's going to be a priority.

We're concerned about the southern border. And we believe that it's a disgrace, honestly, what's happening at the southern border. We need to secure that southern border and we've been communicating with whistle-blowers about the southern border. So, that's obviously going to be a priority, too.

But, as I've said before, we have the staff and the bandwidth to do between 40 and 50 different probes and investigations, and we plan on ramping up in January and trying to get to that point.

COLLINS: What would you say is your third top priority?

COMER: Well, the third top priority, obviously, we're very concerned about what we see in the news with respect to the Biden family influence peddling. This is something that we're certainly going to look into. We believe that, you know, that -- we have a lot of problems with respect to what the president has said with respect to his knowledge of his family's, what I would consider, influence pedaling. He said during the presidential campaign he had no knowledge. We now know that that's not true.

So, we're going to look into that and see what the - what the extent of his involvement with the -- what I would consider influence pedaling with our adversaries in China and Russia. So, that's something that, obviously, is going to be in the news a lot. But, again, we're going to be a very sensitive committee and we're focused on waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement of the federal government.

COLLINS: What do you expect to come of an investigation like the one that you just referenced?

COMER: You - well, with respect to the Bidens, you know, we have a problem that I think is only going to get worse. And it's been a problem in, honestly, the last two administrations. We need to know exactly what's legal and what's not legal with respect to family members of high level political offices. We need to know a lot more about existing businesses. If you're president and you run -- you have a big business empire that's doing business all over the world, you become president, we probably need more disclosure laws.

So, I think, at the end of the investigation into the Biden influence pedaling. I think that there's a possibility for a bipartisan legislative fix. We need to know exactly what is legal and what is not legal, and we certainly need to increase the disclosure laws for immediate family members of high-level political officers.

COLLINS: People are going to want to see evidence about, essentially, everything you just laid out there, what you say you believe is influence pedaling. People are going to want to see what that actually looks like.

I think one thing that I've heard even from, you know, your fellow Republicans is questions about credibility of these investigations and what that's going to look like. You've said you want to bring credibility back to the House Oversight Committee. You clearly don't think it's there. But with this slim majority and with some of the Republicans who have been considered to be on the Oversight Committee, how do you maintain credibility in these investigations? How do you keep them focused on things like when it comes to PPP loans, things that people really care about, and differentiating that between, you know, what's popular on Twitter with some of your fellow Republican colleagues?

COMER: Yes, and that's a problem with both parties. We have the squad on the Oversight Committee as well on the Democrat side. And I think you had - you interviewed Jamie Raskin or Carolyn Maloney or anyone, they would probably be able to answer the same question with the same types of peoples that some of their members have. But I've told everyone on the committee, everyone who aspires to be on the committee, and, again, for the last two congresses, the House Oversight Committee has been the number one most requested committee by the incoming freshman class. So, I'm very proud of that.

But, at the end of the day, I've said, we're going to be a very sensitive committee. There are things that we're going to do that will be front and center in the media, and there are a lot of things we're going to do that, unfortunately, no one in the press will ever cover, that I would argue is a lot more sensitive than the stuff that the press will cover.

So, I think everyone knows that I have a lot of goals and objectives. And you're exactly right, the reputation of congressional oversight is not good.

[06:40:04]

There's not a lot of credibility among the media and among the American people in congressional oversight. I blame both parties for that. I hope to change that. And we've got a big - a big order to try to be able to accomplish that.

But I do think that, you know, there's no shortage of demand for oversight and accountability in the federal government. That's a bipartisan issue. And certainly, you know, we'll have hearings that may tend to lean into the partisan side of things on both sides of the aisle.

But unlike the January 6th committee, the House Oversight Committee is going to have a makeup of, you know, exactly who Hakeem Jeffries wants and exactly who Kevin McCarthy wants. So, I think we're going to do a good job. We've set some lofty goals and I think the country needs a strong oversight committee that looks into waste, fraud and abuse. So, hopefully we'll be able to do that.

COLLINS: We'll look to see what the committee does as you are in charge.

Congressman James Comer, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

COMER: Thanks for having me.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: A great interview. A lot of headlines.

OK, so the Supreme Court really split after oral arguments yesterday on a really significant case that could completely change how elections in this country are decided. Details ahead.

LEMON: And what's this all about. Actress Jennifer Lawrence getting flack for suggesting that she was the first female action star when she appeared in "The Hunger Games" films.

HARLOW: I loved those films.

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[06:46:11]

LEMON: All right, time now for some weather. Look at that. Heavy rain and snow hitting some western states, especially in the Colorado Rockies where avalanche warnings are in place.

Straight now to our meteorologist Chad Myers in the CNN Severe Weather Center.

Hello, sir.

How much snow is expected in the Rockies?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, Don, in the Sierra we could see eight feet. In the Rockies, Colorado, maybe three feet. I have a friend right now in a car heading up the hill on I-70 going skiing today, but that's another story.

Sunday is when the real big snow comes in. There's some rain right now across parts of the southeast. A wet commute for places like St. Louis. But really, the storm comes in and it will be very beneficial. Cascades, Sierra, into the Rockies, going to get significant snow that will eventually melt in the spring and maybe, hopefully, fill up some reservoirs. There you go, two to three feet already and more to come by the end of the weekend because that's when the next storm system comes in. Temperatures are going to be mild in the cities but certainly cold enough for snow in the mountains. And they'll take it.

LEMON: Chad, you said eight feet, not eight inches, eight feet?

MYERS: Eight feet.

LEMON: Whoo.

MYERS: I mean not -- not Tahoe proper, but in the mountains, like heavenly, yes.

LEMON: Oh, wow. All right. Good skiing, I guess.

MYERS: Yes.

LEMON: Thank you, Chad. Appreciate it.

MYERS: You bet it.

LEMON: Poppy.

HARLOW: All right, this morning Oscar winning actress Jennifer Lawrence is facing some backlash on social media for suggesting that she was the first woman to lead in an action movie when she starred in "The Hunger Games."

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JENNIFER LAWRENCE, ACTRESS: I remember when I was doing "Hunger Games," nobody had ever put a woman in the lead of an action movie because it wouldn't work, we were told. Girls and boys can both identify with a male lead, but boys cannot identify with a female lead.

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HARLOW: So, that statement unleashed a lot of criticism online. People pointing to examples of where she was wrong, like Sigourney Weaver in the "Alien" series, also Linda Hamilton in the "Terminator" movies, and Pam Grier in the films like "Foxy Brown." She herself is often sited as the first female action movie star. All those performances before Jennifer Lawrence was - was born. Since she was born, the list goes on. Michelle Yeoh in "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragons" and other films, Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez in "Resident Evil" franchise, Uma Thurman in "Kill Bill," Angelina Jolie in "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider."

LEMON: Ooof.

HARLOW: Yes, I do not think she meant - I think people make mistakes all the time.

LEMON: I'm not getting into that.

HARLOW: OK.

LEMON: I do - I do have to say, I do love from the "Blaxploitation" movies from the '70s, Pam Grier with the big afro and those -

HARLOW: All great films. All great actresses.

LEMON: Christie Love on the TV. Yes, and, listen, it wasn't on the big screen, but remember Lynda Carter in "Wonder Woman." I loved those when I was a kid. So --

HARLOW: Where's your Wonder Woman t-shirt?

COLLINS: I should have worn it today.

HARLOW: You needed -- you should have worn it today.

LEMON: Well, maybe it's under - it's under. She's wearing it under.

COLLINS: I'll wear it tomorrow.

HARLOW: OK. Perfect.

More than 1,000 "New York Times" union members are preparing to go on strike today. What they're demanding, next.

COLLINS: Plus, there's a new change impacting your money this morning, specifically when it comes to Venmo.

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[06:52:47]

HARLOW: Well, something really great and inspiring is happening this Sunday night. You'll want to join our Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa to celebrate some of the most extraordinary people in the world who you probably haven't heard of. People that are committed to making this world a better place.

Here's a clip of "CNN Heroes."

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ANNOUNCER: Sunday, it's the time of year to be inspired, and honor some of humanity's best.

ON SCREEN TEXT: Nelly Cheboi, Techlit Africa.

Meymuna Hussein-Cattan, The Tiyya Foundation.

Carie Broecker, Peace of Mind Dog Rescue.

CARRIE BROECKER, PEACE OF MIND DOG RESCUE: We have found homes for almost 3,000 dogs.

ON SCREEN TEXT: Nora El-Khouri Spencer, Hope Renovations.

Tyrique Glasgow, Young Chances Foundation.

TYRIQUE GLASGOW, YOUNG CHANCES FOUNDATION: Our community's youth center used to be the community drug house.

ON SCREEN TEXT: Debra Vines, The Answer Inc.

Bobby Wilson, Metro Atlanta Urban Farm.

BOBBY WILSON, METRO ATLANTA URBAN FARM: I want my grandchildren to have it better than what I have it today.

ON SCREEN TEXT: Richard Casper, Creativets.

RICHARD CASPER, CREATIVETS: I just always wanted to serve other people.

ON SCREEN TEXT: Aidan Reilly, The Farmlink Project.

Teresa Gray, Mobile Medics International.

TERESA GRAY, MOBILE MEDICS INTERNATIONAL: Human suffering has no borders. People are people and love is love.

ANNOUNCER: Join Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa live as they present the 2022 Hero of the Year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Join me --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In honoring --

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: CNN Hero of the Year.

ANNOUNCER: "CNN Heroes: An All-star Tribute" Sunday at 8:00.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Can't wait for that on Sunday.

But, this morning, in sports, a curious cat stole the spotlight during the World Cup news conference. And CNN's Andy Scholes is joining us now.

Andy, people really were not happy about what happened to the cat and how it was treated.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and, Kaitlan, I spoke with our colleague Don Riddell, who's there in Doha covering the World Cup for us. He said there's stray cats everywhere and they're pretty friendly. Well, one of those cats decided to jump on the table during Brazilian star Vinicius Junior's news conference. He thought it was rather funny. His translator, though, decided to grab the cat and just chunk it off the table. Now, luckily, cats always land on their feet, but the translator receiving some criticism because, well, probably could have been a little bit nicer to that cat.

All right, elsewhere in the NBA last night, we had a thrilling finish to the Jazz and Warriors. Golden State was up by four with just 13.3 seconds left. But Utah's Malik Beasley's is going to hit a three right here to cut the lead to one. [06:55:03]

Then, after a timeout, on the inbound, Utah's Nickeil Alexander-Walker steals the ball away from Jordan Poole, they get the ball up to Simone Fontecchio for the dunk in the final seconds. The Warriors lose in heartbreaking fashion to the Jazz, 124-123.

And, Kaitlan, the Jazz had a record of 1 and 118 over the last 25 seasons when they were down by four or more with under ten seconds to go. So, there you go, that's how probably that win was.

COLLINS: Nothing - nothing like a chaotic ending to the NBA season there.

LEMON: And I'm not down with that cat thing. That was a little rough.

SCHOLES: You would have chunked it too, Don? You -

HARLOW: No, he wouldn't.

LEMON: No, no, no. No, it's a little rough.

COLLINS: He's - he's unhappy.

LEMON: I - look, I am very animal friendly here. He could have -- it's OK for him to get him off the table, but -

HARLOW: He has three little pooches at home.

SCHOLES: Just - just shoo it, just shoo it. You don't need to do that.

COLLINS: We can't even keep track of how many dogs Don has.

LEMON: I know, I'm like - look, who are you? I wake up in the morning I'm like, now what dog is this?

COLLINS: They have multiplied.

All right, Andy Scholes, thanks so much.

LEMON: All right, thanks, Andy.

COLLINS: All right, this could be the first big development in that investigation into the murders of the four University of Idaho students. What we are learning ahead and what police are now looking for.

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