i think if people had any idea what is actually happening in places like the irs, or maybe even the doj, or silicon valley titans, when people start to see these things -- and it is not just words. i think images transfix in the way that words do not. the only way to get the video is to go undercover. i cannot figure out any other way. twitter, hundreds of engineers read your private text messages or direct messages. on ther righteous people right and the left, probably more so on the left. panel with james damore at cpac yesterday, and when he is fired for writing a memo about intellectual diversity, i think it raises people's eyebrows. the solution to the problem is not to lobby for solution security solutions to the problem is to expose what is happening. and the solution is sort of manifest.

we are going to leave this portion of "the washington journal" we are getting ready to hear from david nuñez. [applause] >> i do not know, mr. chairman. i think they like you. >> thank you. thank you for the warm welcome. you have been a longtime friend of the conservative movement. you're getting another award from us for your congressional votes but i think what people know about you recently is your courage in standing up to what looks to be a troublesome set of facts. thank you very much. >> thank you.

[applause] days it seems like news is breaking all the time and i think it is important for all of our cpac attendees to know there is news breaking right now with the release of this memo. our attendees are going to hear from you first. what do they need to know about what is going on and about the release of this memo? >> it just posted. the website probably crashed so probably nobody can get it right now. russian bots caused the crash. [laughter] this out.ed this has been held up for two weeks. the fbi and doj had told the democrats what was wrong with their memo or their response to our memo. they waited for two weeks before they actually did the redaction that was necessary to get this out. we want it out because we think

it is clear evidence that the democrats are not only trying to cover this up, but they are also polluting with parts of the -- colluding with parts of the government to cover this up. will see personal attacks on myself with a lot of interesting things that sound bad, like a lot that has been happening with his russian investigation, but what you are not going to see is anything that actually rejects what was in our memo. what is the point of our memo? the point of our memo was for one purpose only and that was to show that fisa abuse had occurred and have a secret court that gets abused like this is unacceptable and it falls on the job of the legislative branch you created all of this to provide oversight and make sure that when we see problems we let the american people know and all

of our congressional colleagues know. what you will read in the democratic memo is they are advocating that it is ok for the fbi and the doj to use political dirt paid for by one campaign and use it against the other campaign. i do care who you are, independent, republican, or democrat, -- i don't care who you are, republican, or democrat, or independent, that is unacceptable. [applause] we have two issues there, let's unpacked this -- unpack this. the fact we have pfizer abuse -- abuse, abuse of our government to look at the most intimate areas of our life, we have abuse of that.

and covering up the fact that ever happened or explaining in a way that doesn't it good clarity to the american people. one thing that they are all hot to talk about. footnote before the fisa court they put in a comp catered of thee at the very end application -- a complicated footnote at the very end of the application. wouldn't it have been a lot easier to say, hey, mr. judge, we want you to know that the hillary kenton campaign and democratic party payday lawyer who hired a firm who hired a foreign agent to go to russia to get dirt on mr. trump. we are not going to have a fisa court in this country any longer if the fbi and doj are going to continue to opt escape -- to

obvious gate -- to opt fea obfuscate like that. >> after 9/11 some of these extra steps were taken to give the federal government greater leeway to fight terrorism, to fight our enemies. i was told one would anybody misuse this, when with summit use this for their own personal gain? when would-- somebody use this for their own personal gain? i remember -- did we just not have these safeguards? clear,s make one thing this is our ability to track down terrorists and bring them to justice. it's critically important, so as this court. wet i believe happened, if

were to get a conducting is goingtion, -- there to have to be an investigation done by the doj and the fbi who can look at it all. in that investigation they are going to have to determine whether or not there was abuse or not, whether or not the law needs to be changed, and also holding people accountable that did this abuse. [applause] and until that happens i think you are going to see a very skeptical congress as it relates to what it can or cannot be brought before this court. >> the one question i think a lot of us have, because you have been, as i said, courageous, you have stepped up. the important role you've had of being the chair of the house intelligence committee. usually it doesn't get a lot of press, usually it doesn't get a lot of attention. what is the first thing that

caused you to really go after this and go after the truth? what was the flag, what was the trigger? >> there were a lot of flags. i would say the first flag -- let me back up just a few minutes on this. that was, like, a year ago? on thetell you what -- house intelligence committee we prefer to stay out of the press. be down prefer to just in the basement, help out the intelligence agency. or we need to go out and talk about what is the american people and congress [indiscernible] that's traditionally how we did our work. let's talk about russia. 15, theand 14 and republicans had been warning the obama administration that russia was a problem, and pugin was a

problem. and not only that, this was an administration who, a lot of people are talking about what is the current trump administration doing against the russian threat , let's talk about how the obama administration did with their reset policy that created and emboldened pugin to be in a position to be such a threat? so just a few facts that people of -- wee did a reset hit a reset button with hillary clinton. are going towe pivot to asia, because we are going to be friends with the russians. we went through a whole european infra structure consolidation process of military installations across your. we abandoned a lot of our cute abilities in the north atlantic to track russian subs.

we actually had the president of the united states, who said on a hot mike to the -- on a hot mic to the prime minister of russia at the time, "just tell vladimir ." wait after the election president obama said that. at the same time mitt romney, in twitty 12, said russia was a great threat. and president obama had that great a great line, all the that theghed about it, 80's want their foreign policy back. everybody laughed. who created this russian threat? it was the last administration that put us in this position. but here is the kicker to all of this. it culminated with great frustration on my part, where in , just months

before the election i came out and said on national television that the biggest intelligence failure since 9/11 was our failure to understand putin's plans and intentions. this was an april of 2016. and now all of a sudden, fast forwarding, what were the signs there could be a problem, it was late summer when people were coming to me and saying we could have a problem with the russians. that for fourng years, glad you guys figured that out. then, after the presidential election, president trump is elected a couple of days later. i was asked to serve on the transition team. it was at that point i began getting the qs by all sorts of media and's -- i was getting the cues by all sorts of medians and platforms that i was a russian

agent. if anybody was going to be accused of being a russian agent, i would be at the bottom of the list, but of the democrats in congress. now today -- below all the democrats in congress. now the media today would have some -- that i'm working with the criminals. this is total nonsense. said, look, we will conduct an investigation. if we see collusion, i see no evolutionists -- no evidence of collusion. evidence of republicans colluding, is that fair? >> that's very fair. so all of this that has happened over the course of the last year and a half, it's really quite something to be a part of and be in the center of. i will tell you that the american people deserve to know the truth and the house intelligence committee will continue to plot through our

work with or without the support of the media. and we'll get the facts. [applause] so the bigger the democrats and their allies in the national make the charge about russian interference, which i know we all find repugnant, in our election and our society. the bigger they make the charge that there was apparently something untoward about trump and russia collusion, it's important for all of us to indicting theare obama administration. the obama administration did not keep us safe, instead they took the information and used it to go after team trump. statement? >> there is clear evidence of collusion, you alluded to it. the only evidence we have of

collusion, which is not evidence, it's clear evidence, it's not even circumstantial. people tried to get around it by saying it was a law firm that hired another guy. was moneyond, this from the hillary campaign and the democratic party making its way into the hands of an agent, who was either paying russian agents, or getting information from russian agents that was dirt on the trump campaign, that of course they then used to later. it is clear evidence of collusion. there is nothing that is any clearer than that. and you would think some of you might want to do some research on that and figure out who really was colluding with russians. well you are the one who asked these questions. you asked a series of questions to some former officials. to you expect to get answers? -- do you expect to get answers?

>> that the next age. --ia reported this week earlier this week we sent a question near -- a questionnaire to what likely will be a dozen current and former members of the executive branch, very straightforward questions. when did you first learn of the dossier? when did you learn that the democrats in heller campaign had paid for the dons -- paid for the dossier? these are all questions -- these are 10 simple questions. we hope by the end of next week we will have the answers. my i'm not going to hold breath for those answers. >> so we have this term, "cover-up," i keep thinking -- i turn 50 this year, i'm getting old. -- this year, i'm getting old. ofs is like there is a lot

investigating, i don't know whether that is a coincidence or not. is it fair to ask what did resident obama no yak that obama know -- obama know? the answers you are try to get to with these questions. >> we need to know all of the officials, at the time, when they knew about this. move forward, we will get through this as a country. but we have to make sure people are held accountable, so that everyone knows that it's never going to be ok to take their it from a foreign actor, that was essentially made up out of whole againstnd then use it the other campaign. no matter whose campaign that is. [applause] here,s a lot of people

you run into so many retired military, retired law enforcement, so many great people that work at the department of justice. it's hard not to read all of the coverage. they have been tarnished by this politicized issue -- politicize --how in test politicize tarnished by this politicization. >> i think the first thing you have to do is admit you have a problem. happen, thenins to you will start to see the types of reform that are needed. want to stress that it is just at the top. thatn't have any evidence anyone in the local full was playing politics, playing politics that i -- politics at a level that was on president -- that was unprecedented.

it's going to be up to -- >> you are hopeful? >> if not we will oversee it. [applause] >> at the beginning of this process a year ago, they did something we call in kansas, they tried to hogtie you. you are going after the truth, people started leveling charges at you to stop you. >> i think it's turned into that. and i think this is a good example of what you have really seen as the collapse of the media. i think it's really sad. mediak most of us in the that i think most in the media are left. -- i think most in the media are left.

i think there are certain standards that you can count on to be at least fair. a lot of people really don't understand what happened last spring when i went to the white house. and i like to say it real simple like this. ien i got the information, briefed the republicans on the committee. the democrats don't like to hear this, i didn't briefed them because i knew they would run to the present talk about it. theafter that i went out to media, held a press conference, total transparent -- totally transparent, and said i'm going to the white house because i found this information where there were unmasking's that occurred on trump transition officials and the president needs to know about this. i told the media. went to the white house, briefed the president. outside of the might -- outside of the white house, briefed the press. and what do i get accused of? not being transparent.

that was, ithat was, i think, tf hypocrisy. what you are seeing is most americans are understanding no matter where you are getting your news from it is going to be biased. i don't know how that is going to be fixed. it is not going to be fixed in the short run. in the long run they make it fixed. you have billionaires controlling most of the media outlets, that have their own agendas. you have a press that is totally reliant on cliques. -- on clicks. friends like to tell me i'm ait for the mainstream media. i think you are going to see a degradation of the quality of reporting. that's what really happening. point, finish on this how is it possible -- we talked a little bit about the questionnaire we sent out. and no one in the mainstream media has covered it.

how's that possible? >> may be part of the reason it's possible -- i was reading and watching -- there is this show called, morning joe. >> i hear they are big fans of mine. >> and they had someone on recently who was mocking you and your intelligence and your ability, because you are a dairy farmer. fromse the people i come in kansas work the land and our farmers and ranchers. they are somehow not able to handle the complex issues that the intelligence committee has to undertake. i would say this is why won thet trump

election. middle america was ignored for way too long, and the power centers of go home new york and washington dc, and then of course hollywood and san francisco and my neck of the woods, is that people all in the middle were considered irrelevant. it's not just stupid and , it's more than that. they despise people who are mechanics and truck drivers and people who are builders. peopleidn't have these they wouldn't have the shelter and energy to keep us warm or cold, we wouldn't have any food to eat.

i come from the agricultural mecca of the world in san joaquin valley. you are learning what we are dealing with in the san joaquin valley. it's kind of the home of the extreme left wing. we have seen what they do to people's private property, what they do to their businesses. people ask me how do you deal used tos yet so i'm these people. i'm used to being attacked all the time. i hope you all know that in california it's like a country in and of itself. don't hold that against some of us who are actually conservative, actually trying to do the right thing. i love that answer. >> where do our attendees go to

get this memo? >> it should be online on the house intelligence website. >> we're going to forgive you if you're looking at your phones are twitter to read the content speed its importance to know where it's happening. we are going to do something very special for you. i would like to bring onto the stage our vice chairman. we do come out and join us? come on out, millie. >> there was very candid. and now, we are really honored to bestow the american conservative union defender of freedom award.

[applause] >> thank you, very kind. >> unlike other awards even in cpac, this is only given one an individual shows concerted courage, standing up for truth and freedom under intense duress , and when we've considered awardees for this honor, one of the questions we ask is, what

would ronald reagan have done or said? to serve, in your unwavering valor, and often lonely pursuit in yourr -- you sir, unwavering valor and often lonely pursuit, -- we respect you, we salute you, in your rigorous pursuit of the american people. >> thank you all very much. know, we represent, all of us that are in congress represent constituents. because of all of you or the things that i have done, but because of the people who have allowed me to do that.

i just want to say thank you again to all of you, but especially to my constituents who sent me back to washington. earlier, just a little we have been on the front lines of this fight. for ourlly an honor region of california to be recognized, and thank you so much for this award. [applause] >> i can't think of a more appropriate way to say thank you to all of you at cpac 2018 with rewarding a man of courage. thank you all so much. i just got more breaking news, cpac 2019 will be february 27

through march 2. prayersrayers -- in my we won't have to talk about we are dealing with now then. thank you. >> hello, cpac. ♪ >> this wraps up our live coverage of the conservative political action conference. you can watch all of the discussions on c-span.org. c-span's live coverage of the national governors association annual winter meeting continues now with a panel addressing ways to combat the opioid crisis. cliques refile legislation cu