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Published January 26, 2017
This is a rush transcript from "Your World," May 8, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: A live look now at the House floor, Washington, D.C. We are waiting for lawmakers to go ahead and vote on this Benghazi select committee.
We are told some Democratic leaders want their party to vote against this whole thing. But then what happens if it becomes a Republican-only affair? It will still issue a report. It will still do its investigations. What do Democrats do?
To Congressman Charlie Rangel on how he sees this playing out.
Congressman, good to have you. What do you think of this thing? Do you think Democrats should support it, should sit on it?
REP. CHARLES RANGEL, D-N.Y.: I think it's a great idea.
I thought they were going to have a select committee on affordable care, because it appears that they have given up on that. And now they're going to have a select committee to study what we already studied.
I think it's tragic that the Republican Party would destroy itself in 2016 by not having one issue that the American people believe should be a priority. That's sad because...
CAVUTO: Well, I just -- could you answer my question, sir, about whether you think Democrats should be a part of this committee, because it looks like it's going to happen one way or another.
RANGEL: Not -- the only time -- we cannot be a part of having the majority on a select committee where we have not the control to see which direction it's going.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: So, no seats at all, no seats at all? You wouldn't -- there are some who are worried that it might boomerang on you, that no representation at all on that committee doesn't even afford you a chance to challenge some of its findings.
RANGEL: At some time, you have to be on principle. And participating in a farce, even if you're trying to fight it from the inside, let them do it from the outside.
Let the American people decide whether or not they think we should have participated.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: Do you think we have gotten all the answers, though? Does it bother you, as a decorated Korean War hero in your own right, that there are a lot of things...
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: But there's a lot of things that we don't know happened. They might not be nefarious. They not be -- but we have never gotten straight answers.
And now e-mails that seem to conflict with original statements, why not have a committee investigation? Why not clear the air once and for all and decide whether this is all political hay or not?
RANGEL: Are you really telling me that you have no confidence in Darrell Issa, who has had all of these hours and days and weeks and months investigating this, that now you're saying you have no confidence in him, so you have to bring in a new member to ahead up a new committee to find the answers? Is that what you're saying?
CAVUTO: How many committees looked into funding and improprieties and lies and faulty intelligence into the Iraq War?
RANGEL: We're talking about Benghazi.
Now, if you want to change it and talk about Iraq war, we can do that.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: No, no, no.
But, no, look, just think of this, Congressman. If the argument then, and Republicans said was just you guys making a big deal over bad intelligence, and you say now the argument in this case, arguably on a much, much smaller scale, is arguing over faulty intelligence, then why not be consistent?
RANGEL: Let me tell you this.
I don't want to see the Republicans destroy themselves. I don't want to be an American with just one party.
CAVUTO: Well, were Democrats destroying themselves during the whole uproar over the Iraq War?
RANGEL: I don't think people, Americans, Democratic or Republicans, are going to sleep over Benghazi.
And I really think that they're concerned about the economy and jobs and immigration. What I'm talking about is, is that if the Democrats are the only ones standing on their feet in 2016, America has lost.
CAVUTO: But leave the politics out of it. What's to -- what are you telling the families of those who died that you think has been exhaustively studied enough, when they just want simple answers and they still don't know? What are you telling them?
RANGEL: I'm telling them that I can't leave the politics out of it, if the Republicans are going to set up a select committee to dance on the graves of those people who died.
CAVUTO: So, how are we going to get answers? We're just not?
RANGEL: Well, you're saying that Issa, Darrell Issa, can't get the answers you want, where he has the majority on a standing committee?
CAVUTO: All right.
RANGEL: Is that what you're saying? And suppose we can't get it with the select committee?
CAVUTO: OK.
RANGEL: Do we set up another committee?
CAVUTO: All right.
RANGEL: Do we have 51 committees?
CAVUTO: All right. Congressman, I wish we had more time. I don't mean to jump on you. That's it. We're hitting a hard break.
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