[Jessica Schneider, Cnn Justice Correspondent:] Brianna, the next step on this is for the top Democratic representative on the committee, Adam Schiff, to meet with the FBI to hear about its concerns about the memo. Schiff is promising to listen to the FBI, and then redact whatever the FBI suggests to protect those sources and methods. It was Friday when the president decided not to declassify the Democrats' memo. In a letter that was sent, he said it's significant concerns for national security and law enforcement if it was released. But the president, he did also leave the door wide open. The White House counsel in that letter said the president may be inclined to declassify the memo if the committee works with the Justice Department and the FBI to address some of the concerns in the memo. But despite all that, Democrats are crying foul over that promise, saying that the FBI had expressed grave concerns before the release of the Republican memo, but of course, the White House released it, anyway.
[Rep. Jim Himes, , Connecticut:] We're being careful here. You know, we don't want to establish we're uncomfortable with the establishment of a precedent where, for political reasons, and this is what happened with the Nunes memo, for political reasons classified information gets out there. Remember, the White House overrode the objections of the FBI the first time around. We're going to say, hey, we don't want to be political, we want the rebuttal out there. But we do want to listen to the FBI, something the president did not afford the FBI when the Nunes memo was released.
[Schneider:] There is still a chance the committee and the full House could vote to override the White House, declassify the memo, anyway, but sources say that route is unlikely, and Democrats are unlike to push for a vote until Adam Schiff meets with the FBI, maybe issues some redactions. But we're still waiting to hear when Adam Schiff meets with the FBI Brianna?
[Keilar:] Jessica Schneider, thank you so much for that report. So where do we go from here now? Joining me to discuss, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Michael Zeldin. Michael, just explain to us how this process of redacting would work. Does the FBI highlight specific passages, is it a give and take? What is it?
[Michael Zeldin, Cnn Legal Analyst:] The FBI starts by saying, these are the passages about which we have concerns. That creates a discussion. Then they try to reach compromise. It may be the FBI is being overly cautious and could pull back a little from its caution, but that's the nature of it. And then hopefully they reach agreement. They determine this is a memo that now doesn't interfere with the national security interests or law enforcement interests, and then it can go to the president and the president can determine whether it's now suitable for release.
[Keilar:] The Republican memo, which is already out and was not redacted, alleges surveillance abuses by the FBI. This memo, the Democratic memo, Democrats say paints the whole picture, but what you would expect is that it actually gives a little cover to the FBI, which is feeling, I think, pretty stung by that Republican memo. So because of that, how much does the FBI's desire to stick up for itself play into how they're looking at redactions here?
[Zeldin:] Hopefully, it doesn't play a large role. Hopefully, what the FBI is doing is its job and playing it straight and saying, we're looking at the content of the memo and we're determining that this content is good, this content jeopardizes law enforcement and national security interests, and therefore, it's not good, and that it's not sort of self-grandizing or self-protecting. There is a natural instinct to do that. But hopefully, they're playing it straight so when it goes back to the president, they have a clean memo that he has no choice, if you will, if he wants to be transparent, but to release.
[Keilar:] Republicans have alleged some FISA abuses, manipulation of the FISA court. After this memo is released, do you think there will be reforms to the FISA process?
[Zeldin:] The irony is, of course, just before the Nunes memo was released, a month or so, they had hearings on FISA. They reauthorized Section 702, which was the most controversial part of FISA, warrantless acquisition of information. There were a lot of proposals at that time to modify FIS, to give more protection to FISA, and the same people who came forth with this memorandum were against those reforms. So there's a bit of sort of irony, if you will, if they're now asking for FISA reforms when
[Keilar:] It's almost like it's political, Michael Zeldin.
[Zeldin:] I don't like to say those words.
[Keilar:] Thank you so much. Appreciate the insight.
[Zeldin:] Thank you.
[Keilar:] Coming up, as we mentioned, President Trump will unveil a huge infrastructure plan any moment now. Stay with us.