The next is a transcript of an interview with Rep. Jim Himes, Democrat of Connecticut, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Sept. 8, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Becoming a member of us now could be the rating member of the Home Intelligence Committee, Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut. Congressman, good morning to you.
REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): Thanks for having me, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So much I need to get to with you, however I did need to give you an opportunity to reply, when you care to, to Congressman McCaul. I do know you and most Democrats supported President Biden’s choice to withdraw from Afghanistan, though I believe you’d agree the exit was one of many darkest days of- of his presidency to this point. What do you make of the Republican argument that this displays on Vice President Harris’s talents to function commander-in-chief?
REP. HIMES: Properly, you are proper, Margaret, whenever you say that that was a really darkish day. Any time we lose service members, it is a very darkish day, and the 13 that we misplaced at Abbey Gate are- are rightly remembered. And you know the way you keep in mind them finest? You keep in mind, as you identified in your interview with- with Chairman McCaul, that there have been additionally nearly 2500 others killed in Afghanistan over a 20 12 months interval. What Chairman McCaul goes to supply to the American folks, although, is, and- and also you stated it proper. It is going to be about Vice President Harris. It’s a politicized, cherry picked report designed to do one factor, not make clear a tragedy, which, by the way in which, I might assist 100%. And- and by the way in which, let’s additionally take a look at the 20 years and the 4 presidents that doubled down on Afghanistan coverage. It will be a nakedly partisan marketing campaign factor. Chairman McCaul stated it on the finish there. You recognize- what- the navy points that he was elevating? You recognize, he did not point out the very fact that- when he stated that President Biden got here with an agenda to withdraw from Afghanistan, President Biden didn’t include an agenda. He got here with a binding settlement negotiated by President Trump, who additionally launched 5000 Taliban. And by the way- and here is the important thing level that did not come up, who additionally left President Biden with 2500 troops in Afghanistan. Margaret, after we had been attacked on January 6, on the Capitol, within the days after we had greater than 2500 Nationwide Guardsmen guarding the Capitol. That is the instruments, and that is the settlement that Donald Trump left President Biden with.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And there have been hundreds extra NATO troops as nicely. So the 2500 is a little bit bit deceptive, however let’s put that apart, simply to honor our allies there. And I am positive, absolutely you understand about. I need to ask you in regards to the ISIS risk. On Friday, it was disclosed {that a} 20-year-old ISIS supporter was apprehended 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border. The FBI stated the person was a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada who was planning a mass capturing assault in New York Metropolis on or round October 7 to kill as many Jews as attainable. Do you’ve got any perception into whether or not this particular person was self radicalized? Was he directed? What’s the risk image right here?
REP. HIMES: Yeah, you understand, we have been out of session for a while, so it has been a short while since I’ve had a categorized briefing. So I in all probability cannot particularly reply the query about that particular person. What I can let you know is 2 issues. Primary, ISIS is devoted, as is, by the way in which, Iran and any variety of different teams, to attempting to strike the USA. That may be a reality, and that’s the reason it’s so necessary the- the work of the intelligence neighborhood and the FBI to cease that stuff. And so they’re fairly good at that. You noticed the arrests, in fact, of the eight individuals who had been affiliated with- with terrorist teams. They’re excellent at what they do. It’s extremely arduous for them to be excellent, nevertheless it’s additionally necessary that we not over exaggerate the risk right here. We have now come a really great distance, I am truly simply again from a 9/11 ceremony on the twenty third anniversary celebrating- or memorializing that hideous assault. The intelligence neighborhood, the navy, the FBI, have come a great distance since 9/11 and as a consequence, we find out about this stuff, and hopefully we’ll be able to impede as lots of them as attainable.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Honest level. I need to swap gears if I can. And you might be proper to remind us all that we’re developing on that 9/11 anniversary, a memorial to all of these. On the query of election interference, we acquired these disclosures from the intelligence neighborhood this week and the Justice Division. This was a classy scheme to intrude within the election by organising pretend information websites, paying $10 million to a Tennessee based mostly firm to launder Moscow’s propaganda. They use podcasters, they use well-known personalities on YouTube to trick American voters in swing states, in accordance with the DOJ. How efficient has this marketing campaign been?
REP. HIMES: Properly, that is a extremely arduous query to reply Margaret, as a result of that will get into the query of, you understand, gosh, are these loopy proper wing web sites and proper wing journalists who, evidently, their cash got here from Russia, are they really having an im- an affect on the election? It is form of arduous to imagine in a 50/50 election that is going to be performed out in form of 4 or 5 states, that it is not going to have some affect on the margin, which is why two issues are actually necessary. Primary, again to the FBI, again to our intelligence neighborhood. They should double down on figuring out, naming and shaming these international locations which can be doing this. And Chairman McCaul was proper. It is primarily Russia, Russia has actually pulled out all of the stops, nevertheless it’s additionally China. It is also Iran. There’s even another international locations which can be excited about it. However Margaret, I really feel very passionately about this. They’ll solely succeed if Americans hand over their autonomy, their sovereignty, their important considering talents, to the Russians or to the Chinese language. And so what I at all times inform my constituents, when you’re taking a look at some random social media website and you might be getting hotter and warmer and angrier and angrier, and individuals who disagree with you aren’t simply the opposition, however they’re traitors? You recognize what you are doing, you might be being manipulated. And it could simply be by Fb’s algorithms, however there’s some probability it would truly be the Kremlin or the Chinese language or the Iranians who’re manipulating you. And if you are going to be manipulated that simply, guess what? This nation goes to get the democracy that we deserve.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Vladimir Putin publicly stated he was endorsing Vice President Harris this previous week. U.S. intelligence, although, assesses that it’s Donald Trump that’s, in reality, Moscow’s most popular candidate. Are you aware whether or not Putin is directing this explicit marketing campaign?
REP. HIMES: Properly, I’ll let you know that tremendous delicate issues like meddling in U.S. elections, you understand, the character of the Kremlin and of Putin and of his autocracy, nothing severe occurs in Russia with out Vladimir Putin signing off on it. So exactly how he- concerned he’s, is an open query, however imagine me, sure. He would- and look, you understand, the entire, you understand, I am endorsing Harris factor, all you should do is take heed to the way in which the 2 candidates discuss Russia and Ukraine, and you may develop a fairly unbiased sense of what Putin want to see occur on election day.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You stated earlier this week that banks are required to analysis their purchasers, whenever you had been being requested about this case of a Tennessee based mostly firm that CBS is reporting is- is Tenet Media, that was being manipulated by the Russians. What’s the precept you are asking to be utilized right here?
REP. HIMES: Properly, I assume, and- and I am not speaking about authorized compulsion essentially right here, though banks are required to know their clients, it is good to think about that, you understand, large social media platforms, or large media platforms like Tenet would possibly truly do some analysis to attempt to determine the place their cash is coming from. Frankly, the individuals who take a look at their media have a proper to know the place that cash comes from. So, you understand, at a minimal, examine these items out, as a result of you might not need to be complicit in a Kremlin operation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman Himes, thanks in your perception. We’ll be proper again.
