As chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R- Calif.) oversees one of the most powerful and influential legislative committees in the US House of Representatives.
Washington’s top journalists sat down with Issa at the Monitor Breakfast on December 2 for an on-the-record discussion about congressional gridlock and if government reform, and specifically his powerful committee, is the key to solving it. FORA.tv is presenting the program on demand.
Darrell Issa
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has tackled large-scale government issues in the past, such as investigating the government’s role in the financial collapse of 2008. It has, however, received criticism for taking on issues that are outside its scope, such as examining the use of steroids by major league baseball players, or ignoring important issues of national importance, such as thoroughly investigating the impact of illegal campaign contributions by lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
For Issa, changing the way the government does business is essential to regaining trust among the American people, and he has attempted to set an example in his own state of California. Issa recently challenged state regulators on environmental standards for automobiles, saying they exerted too much power in determining fuel economy standards without input from car manufacturers or consumers.
Issa has also spearheaded important investigations on Countrywide Financial—a now defunct lender that was central in the subprime mortgage crisis—and their possible influence in Congress.
Like most members of Congress, he has also taken a fair share of criticism for supporting legislature that either derails important issues or ignores them. Issa recently attached an anti-abortion ban to a bill that would grant the District of Columbia wider authority (the bill was subsequently rejected by DC lawmakers). Comedian and pundit Bill Maher also criticized Issa for pushing through legislature that reaffirmed “In God We Trust” as the official motto of the United States, saying that not only was it an affront to Americans who weren’t religious, but it was also a nonissue compared to bigger problems the country currently faces.