Transcript: Rep. Patrick McHenry on “Face the Nation,” March 19, 2023

The following is a transcript of an interview with Rep. Patrick McHenry, Republican of North Carolina, that aired on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, March 19, 2023.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We are joined now by the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry. Good morning. Good to have you here in person. 

REP. PATRICK MCHENRY: Great to be here.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to go into the banking crisis, but I first want to ask you about a bit- bit of business in regard to what Speaker McCarthy has said. He’s directing Congress to investigate, he tweeted, whether federal funds are being used by the state of New York where a grand jury may soon indict the 45th President. Why is he issuing this threat? And it isn’t this kind of congressional investigation just using federal funds from U.S. taxpayers on a political errand?

REP. MCHENRY: Well, I haven’t had an opportunity to talk to Speaker McCarthy overnight since that tweet, nor Chairman Comer of the Oversight Investigations Committee, nor Chairman Jordan of the Judiciary Committee. I’m chair of the House Financial Services Committee, I’ve been caught up in a bit of the turbulence in the banking sector–

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you’re one of the top leading Republicans, I mean, do you agree with federal money being used on a state investigation or casting doubt? I mean, what is it about?

REP. MCHENRY: The question here- the question here and I think the viable question for the American people is whether or not you have a progressive prosecutor using the justice system to go after political enemies for political splash. And that seems to be the case here with the Manhattan D.A. But as I said, I’ve spent most of my time focused on what’s at hand–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you think it’s a good use of taxpayer money?

REP. MCHENRY: Well I think it’s a questionable use of taxpayer money to allow a prosecutor to use the justice system to go after somebody–

MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s a problem for New Yorkers, isn’t it?

REP. MCHENRY: Right, but it’s becoming- it’s becoming a problem for Americans when you see people targeted in the- and that’s the reason why Speaker McCarthy set up the Weaponization of Government committee for- the within the Judiciary Committee. And that’s the reason why Jim Jordan is leading that- that effort.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you’re trying now to focus on things of substance that are at crisis level,…