The next is a transcript of an interview with Rep. French Hill, Republican of Arkansas, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Nov. 17, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re joined now by Republican Congressman French Hill. He joins us from his district in Little Rock. Good morning to you, Congressman.
REP. FRENCH HILL: Good morning, Margaret. Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Glad to have you ever right here. You served with Congressman Gaetz. You heard the Speaker who has mentioned, whereas he would not need to particularly wade in to the ethics matter, he additionally thinks it might set a nasty precedent to launch a report on a former member. Do you suppose the Ethics Committee ought to make that call for itself?
REP. HILL: Properly, I feel the Ethics Committee does make that call for itself, however I feel Speaker Johnson makes a vital level, which is, Mr. Gaetz has resigned from Congress. There are lots of investigations that the Home Ethics Committee has finished, and we do not need to set a precedent the place we, beneath any circumstances, will launch paperwork from that committee, however that call is theirs. Speaker Johnson has made his views identified, and now it is going to be as much as the Senate to conduct their advise and consent affirmation course of.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You recognize, CBS Information reported again in June that 4 girls knowledgeable that committee they had been paid to go to intercourse and drug fueled events with Mr. Gaetz. Additionally the Ethics Committee has Venmo transactions exhibiting Gaetz’s funds for the ladies, since taxpayers paid cash for this report back to be performed and it was finished, do you suppose when you had been a Senate you’ll contemplate this materials info to confirming the highest lawmaker for the USA of America- regulation enforcement officer, I ought to say?
REP. HILL: I do not, I haven’t got, I do not, I do not personally know any particulars concerning the ethics investigation or the allegations, as a result of I have never, do not serve on that committee. However your level is, would the Senate Judiciary Committee requested to see that report, and that might be a call that they take, and the ethics committee has a call that they should make, and Mike Johnson’s expressed his view on on that as properly. In order I say, this is a crucial course of that the Senate has to do, advise and consent for all of the nominations, and President Trump has the prerogative to appoint the folks that he thinks can finest lead the change that he believes the American individuals are searching for in every of the companies of the federal authorities.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You have got spoken to us earlier than right here on “Face The Nation” about your work round Syria and Bashar Al Assad’s oppressive regime there. You truly visited northern Syria, an space that he wasn’t in command of, again in 2017. The primary lawmaker since John McCain to take action. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, when she was in workplace, went to Syria and met with Mr. Assad himself, then publicly, she got here out and questioned U.S. intelligence assessments of his chemical weapons assaults that had been carried out on civilian areas, not simply as soon as, a number of occasions. These had been excessive confidence assessments by the intelligence group. Would you are feeling snug along with her on the helm of all 18 of them?
REP. HILL: Properly, I served on the Home Intelligence Committee throughout this previous Congress, and I do know the vital job that the DNI performs in coordinating, gathering and reporting on our intelligence. And I feel ought to Tulsi Gabbard be confirmed, she would know with excessive confidence as to exactly how we gather intelligence, how we coordinate and collaborate on it, and the way we then report it to the President of the USA and to the 2 intelligence committees. So once more, this is a crucial evaluation for the Senate to make, however I remind you Margaret, Donald Trump gained the election. He desires folks that he has an excellent relationship with, that he trusts, that he believes can do an excellent job within the companies to ship the message that we would like change in Washington. And the Senate, too, has their vital job, and we’ll have to attend and see how the Senate handles every of those confirmations.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So it was John McCain who went in 2017, you went in 2023 I’ll have misspoken there on the 12 months, however so, you imagine the US intelligence group conclusions, although? You do not imply to query these?
REP. HILL: No, I do not.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay.
REP. HILL: I am merely saying, as a member of the committee, I do not query that public evaluation that is been made within the public area over many, a few years, and I’ve led the cost towards the Assad regime. I don’t assist that the Arab League put him again into diplomatic standing by admitting him to the Arab League. And I feel America has so much to do to restrict Assad’s affect within the area, which is a associate with the Russians and the Iranians. And that is not within the curiosity of the USA, Iraq, Israel or peace within the area.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You have got additionally been a supporter of Ukraine, and you’ve got been looking for some inventive methods to assist enable them to realize entry to continued U.S. assist. There was an amazing assault simply in a single day there by Russia. The Biden administration desires to offer a $20 billion mortgage backed up by frozen Russian belongings. Will the Congress give them permission to make use of that cash for navy help?
REP. HILL: Properly, the REPO Act that was included within the nationwide safety bundle I labored on very carefully with Chairman Mike McCaul of the international affairs committee provides the USA the authority to not solely take frozen belongings, however confiscate them and use them for the advantage of Ukraine. The mortgage you are referring to has been negotiated between the Europeans and the Individuals to again the Ukrainian authorities. I imagine that may undergo in my judgment. However I might urge President Trump, as he takes workplace, to really observe the regulation and confiscate these Russian belongings, as I imagine that provides each Ukraine, the USA and Europe a a lot stronger negotiating place with Russia. And I do not imagine Biden, nor the G7 international locations, have been robust sufficient on Russian on sanctions, on the supply of weapons that had been wanted to have ended this battle way back.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are gesturing to what we all know, which is that it is a fairly harmful world proper now. One of many choices that the President-elect has made to run the Pentagon at the moment is Pete Hegseth. He could be the protection secretary, 44 years previous, embellished Military vet, TV commentator. Do you suppose expertise is critical, or is on the job coaching OK on the Pentagon?
REP. HILL: Properly, once more, I feel this will probably be assessed by the Senate of their affirmation course of. He has a distinguished background within the navy, and that counts for lots, and I feel his plans, his ideas, his management, will probably be uncovered when he goes by means of that Senate affirmation course of. However as soon as once more, I’ve to say, President Trump, when he got here into workplace in 2017 had cupboard members that he actually had no private relationship with, had no working background with. He desires to right that this time by discovering folks that he has an excellent working relationship with. He is aware of how they suppose. They understand how he thinks, as a result of he thinks it should result in higher determination making in his administration. He is received that prerogative to appoint these women and men and the Senate could have their recommendation and consent perform properly underway, and majority leader-to-be John Thune has mentioned look, he’ll be efficient. He’ll be speedy. He’ll take it finished, get it finished in the precise plan of action.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, thanks to your time at present.
REP. HILL: You guess. Thanks, Margaret.
