BLITZER: Let's talk about the Justice Department. Apparently there's a recommendation that these memos authorizing the enhanced interrogation, what some would call torture, the waterboarding, the slamming of prisoners up against the wall, that they're going to recommend against any criminal prosecution, although there could be some ethical issues with disbarment and stuff like that.

Is that adequate? Is that acceptable to you?

REID: First of all, Senator Feinstein is chairman of the Intelligence Committee. I have said now for several weeks that we should let her complete her work. It's a bipartisan committee, and she should be able to complete her work to find out what really went on.

And I think we should wait until the Justice Department comes out with what they've actually said, rather than some leaks that have come out. And then we make a decision at that time. I don't think it's appropriate to make it at this time.

BLITZER: When is Senator Feinstein, the chair of the Intelligence Committee, going to come up with her conclusions, her investigations?

REID: Some time this fall.

BLITZER: So, between now and later this year, in the fall?

REID: Yes...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: So, between now and then, you would just recommend to everybody, cool it?

REID: Well, I know that's how I feel, and I think there's a general feeling in my caucus the same. Let's get the facts before we rush into what we should do. After that, everything's on the table as to what we should do. But let's get the facts first.

BLITZER: Do you believe torture was used by the Bush administration against these detainees?

REID: Yes.

BLITZER: Do you believe that was legal?

REID: Legal, I guess, is in the eye of the beholder. We've got people who have made these decisions, one of whom is now a federal judge. He said he thought he did the right thing. I think it would be hard for me to arrive at that conclusion myself, but he did.

BLITZER: Should that federal judge be impeached?

REID: That's something that we're going to hear from at a later time. He claims that it was opinion that he wrote, and he's certain someone shouldn't be criticized for legal opinions they give.

BLITZER: Are you ready right now to authorize additional funding for Pakistan?

REID: Yes, I think it's very important. We have a supplemental -- I'm meeting with Senator Inouye tomorrow. I've spoken to Chairman Obey today. And the answer is yes.

The president's asked for this. I think that we have a bipartisan approach to this. This has been studied for months as to how we should approach Afghanistan and Pakistan. I think there's a bipartisan agreement that's headed in the right direction.

BLITZER: Do you have confidence in these two presidents, President Zardari of Pakistan, President Karzai of Afghanistan?

REID: I have confidence in the approach. They're -- both of these men are in town today. Right in this room while we're doing this interview, I spent quite a bit of time yesterday with Karzai.

They've got a lot of troubles in their countries. We are there to help. This is not -- we're not trying to put our brand of government there. What we're trying to do is get rid of the terrorists that are there.

And we don't want the terrorists working their way in to Pakistan. And that's what we see and what we're concerned about. And that's what the direction of this country, working with those two countries, must be.

BLITZER: Now, you support President Obama's decision to shut down the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. He now is seeking money from Congress to move some of those detainees to the United States, to the continental United States.

Congressman Obey, chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the House, says, you know what? Until I see a plan, I'm not authorizing appropriating any money for such a transfer.

Where do you stand on this?

REID: First of all, I agree with John McCain. It should be closed, and it is being closed. The question is, when it's closed, what we do with the prisoners, what we do with the facility generally.

It's a great facility. There's -- we're not going to maintain prisoners there. As I said, I agree with John McCain.

Now I -- as I indicated earlier in this interview, I'm going to meet with Senator Inouye tomorrow. We're going to make a decision at that time whether the mark that we have from the Senate should agree with that of the House.

And at this stage, it appears that until the detainee commission -- they come back sometime late in July to make a decision for the president as to what should be done with those prisoners.

It should be to everyone's interest to wait until that comes out. This is a high-class study that's being done to determine what should be done with the prisoners. We'd all be better off if we waited until then.

BLITZER: So what I hear you saying is you basically agree with Congressman Obey, wait until there's an actual plan, and then the Congress will appropriate the money, but don't authorize the money that the president wants now in advance of that plan.

REID: Yes. I don't want to prejudge what Senator Inouye, as chairman of the committee, is going to do. But I think at this stage, until there's a plan and until the detainee commission report comes out, we're probably better off waiting and maybe try to take care of this funding in one of our regular appropriation bills later this year.

BLITZER: Here's what Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, the Republican presidential candidate, said on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRES. CANDIDATE: I think he's making some very serious errors. I think, if you will, abrogating his responsibility for the stimulus and passing it along to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid was a mistake, and that that's going to come back to haunt him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: I know he wants to start his presidential campaign early, but it's a little too early.

The Constitution says that we have three separate and equal branches of government. And when you pass legislation, the legislation has to start here in the Congress. And that's where it started, where it started.

Obama can't pass legislation as it comes to us. Of course, the economic recovery package, which by the way is doing great things already in Nevada and other states, around the country, because that money is now coming in to the marketplace, so to speak, was the right thing to do.

The legislation was important. It was important we pass it to save or create 3.5 million jobs. So I think Mr. Romney should understand what, first of all, constitutional duties are. And secondly, what this package has done to help the economy.