Darrell Issa

Town Hall Asks A Simple Question

... Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); San Diego Organizing Project; Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest; San Diego Labor Council; San Diegans for Health Care Coverage/CCHI; Sierra Club; and Health Access. Earlier in the day, at the usual Tuesday 10 a.m. vigil outside Issa's office, about 75 Trump enthusiasts showed up prompting Issa to finally come out to answer questions. A huge crowd reaction burst out in response to this question: "When are you going to investigate Trump and Russia? Trump and taxes?" To which the glib Issa remarked, "That's always a crowd pleaser." The congressman expressed regret at not investigating more deeply financial activities during the Bush administration and swore to keep a close eye on Trump's, but that taxes were a private matter enjoyed even by a president. In regards to the unending and costly Benghazi investigations, he said he was, "proud of what we did.". As for the ACA, which was the organizing topic for the town hall, Issa refused to ...

Protest Vigil Outside Issa's Home Draws 200

... coffee with constituents, roundtables and listening sessions. “If the congressman is ‘missing’ then apparently they haven’t been looking all that hard,” Moore said Thursday shortly before the vigil began. “. We should absolutely call out this silliness for exactly what it is: manufactured stunts to create political theater.”. On Tuesday night, more than 1,000 protesters attended a town hall in Issa’s 49 th congressional district that focused on the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as well as other controversial policies put forth by President Donald Trump. Issa didn’t attend the meeting, opting instead to speak earlier in the day with supporters and protesters who gathered outside his Vista office to praise or decry the efforts of the Trump administration. Had Issa shown up Tuesday night, the vigil in his neighborhood wouldn’t ...

Russia Investigation Needs Special Prosecutor

... the other reporters.". Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr told The Washington Post he "had conversations about" Russia-related news reports with White House officials and communicated with news organizations to dispute reports. "I've had those conversations," the North Carolina Republican said. "I felt I had something to share that didn't breach my responsibilities to the committee in an ongoing investigation.". Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner said he contacted CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Burr to express his "grave concerns" about the communications. "I have called Director Pompeo and Chairman Burr to express my grave concerns about what this means for the independence of this investigation and a bipartisan commitment to follow the facts, and to reinforce that I will not accept any process that is undermined by political interference," the Virginia Democrat told CNN in a statement. "I am consulting with members of the Intelligence Committee to determine an appropriate course of action so ...

Darrell Issa On Need For Independent Prosecutor

... general’s office and fuel deep Democratic concerns about ties between Trump and Russia, said David Mc Cuan, a Sonoma State University political scientist. “This could embolden Senate Democrats – Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein – and give them some oxygen to say that anything that comes from an attorney general’s office is not independent,” Mc Cuan said. “This Russia focus with the FBI and the White House is not a scandal yet, but it’s certainly putting some air on embers that are not yet a fire.”. Top Democrats, including Schumer and Feinstein, have called for an independent probe for weeks. Issa’s presence in left-leaning California served as a rallying force for Republicans, whose ranks in the state Legislature are vastly overshadowed by Democrats. Issa used his speech before more than 300 Republicans to bolster support for Trump and actions he’s taken in the five weeks since he took ...

Constituents Have Concerns About Trump, But These Republican Lawmakers Don't Want To Hear Them

... my concerns with repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. (“ How to make your voice heard in Washington ,” Opinion, Feb. 15). I called Issa’s office in Washington to ask when the next in-person town hall meeting will be held in District 49. I’m hoping to hear back soon. And finally, I am writing to The Times to spell out loud and clear that we as U. S. citizens must continue to speak up for democracy. Susan Kogan, Oceanside. To the editor: I am one of hundreds of San Diego residents trying to get Issa to hold an in-person town hall meeting. We recently took out a full-page ad to get Issa’s attention, to no avail. Unfortunately, like many other California representatives, he has said he is not holding meetings during next week’s congressional break. His phone-in town halls appear to be little ...

Rep. Darrell Issa Calls On The Gop To Reach Out To All Americans

... a more conciliatory tone Saturday and said Republicans have to do a better job listening to the concerns of all Americans, even those critical of the GOP. Issa, speaking at the California Republican Party’s convention in Sacramento, said that after surviving a surprising tight reelection campaign in November, he too needs to follow that advice. “We as a party have not reached out enough and not translated over these last years that we … do believe in the people, our constituents,” he told party delegates. He added that last week he spent 90 minutes meeting with a mix of protestors and tea party supporters gathered outside his office in Vista, fielding all their questions. “Some of the people did not have their hearts and minds changed. But some did,” he said. Issa, whose congressional district stretches from La Jolla to Dana Point, defeated Democratic challenger Doug Applegate by fewer than 2,000 votes in November, his closest election since taking office in 2003. During his lunchtime speech, Issa took a few shots at the former president, referring to him as "Barack Hussein Obama" at one point, and accusing him of failing to live up to ...

Pressure For Town Halls Ratchets Up; Issa Not Biting

... the November election, Issa participated in two town hall meetings in San Clemente and Oceanside that were focused on sober-living homes — though the audience was free to ask off-topic questions, Moore said. But the political climate has become considerably more heated in the past two months, and Mc Clintock is the only GOP representative in the state to have hosted an in-person town hall since the November election, according to a report by San Francisco public TV and radio station KQED. Meanwhile, nearly half of California’s 38 congressional Democrats have held in-person forums since the election, or are planning them. Hunter, the 50 th-district congressman from Alpine, will hold a town hall “or several” later this year, his spokesman Joe Kasper said — but it won’t be next week. “. He’ll most certainly have a town hall, but it’ll be in accordance to a schedule that works for others, too, and not just a single group of ...

Republicans Put Issa In Special Re-election Program

... to attend a town hall discussion about health care they have organized next week at their own expense. Congress is not in session that day, and so far Issa has not said if he plans to attend. Issa’s race last year was one of the most-watched in the country, in part because one of the most influential and well-known members of the House was fighting an underdog with no name recognition and a shoestring budget who managed a serious challenge. Applegate finished the primary with 45.5 percent of the vote, while Issa got 50.8 percent and far-left candidate Ryan Wingo received 3.7 percent. The close primary caused Issa, who had cruised to re-election seven times since he won his first race in 2000, to mount a different style of campaign. For the first time he erected yard signs, held a series of neighborhood meetings, and took bike and bus tours of the district. While he intensified his efforts leading up to Election Day, ...

San Diegans Rally Against Rep. Duncan Hunter And Rep. Darrell Issa

... representatives have met with "protest groups" over health care, immigration reform, the Trump administration and the request for Hunter to hold a town hall meeting. Harrison said such a meeting would take place in the coming weeks. However, Hunter ordered his staff to stop holding the meetings because members of the groups have filmed inside the office, impeded constituents who felt intimidated by their presence, disrupted neighboring businesses and disrespected law enforcement, said the letter, sent to a group called Indivisible San Diego. In Vista, anti-Trump protesters marched up to Congressman Issa's listed home address on Thursday night - clashing with his staff. Protesters said they feel ditched by Rep. Issa, so they moved their rally from outside his Vista office to his home. "I am a Republican. I am really concerned if Darrell who used to be the ethics chair does not hold this guy to account," said a constituent. Rep. Issa did not meet with his constituents Thursday night, but he spoke with CBS News 8 during an Oceanside Chamber of Commerce ceremony recognizing Camp Pendleton top marines and sailors. "The election is over. It is time not to electionaire. ...

Talking Tech With Rep. Darrell Issa

... office about high-skilled immigration, as well as the outlook for intellectual property legislation and tech industry interests in the new Republican Trump administration. Issa, in gunning to pass his Protect and Grow American Jobs Act in the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency, is targeting one of the tech industry’s biggest concerns—a shortage of high-skilled labor visas, or H-1 Bs. Issa says his bill would free up visa slots by making it more expensive to hire foreign labor without first ensuring U. S. workers won’t be displaced. His proposal would raise the salary floor threshold from $60,000 to $100,000 for heavy users of the H-1 B program seeking to avoid this labor-market test requirement. The bill would prevent U. S. companies from hiring foreign tech workers at lower wages than their American counterparts, Issa said. But some opponents say it does not go far enough, and that all H-1 B employers should attest that foreign hires won’t uproot U. S. workers. Issa, who holds dozens of patents as a vehicle anti-theft device entrepreneur, said he’s optimistic this Congress will also pass legislation to address patent litigation ...

Rep. Issa's Constituents Call On Him To Attend Town Hall On Health Care

... She said organizers have two schedules planned: one if Issa attends and one if he does not. Update: Feb. 20. Issa’s office said it is finalizing the congressman's calendar for this week, when Congress is not in session. Issa spokesman Calvin Moore said the congressman held a telephone town hall meeting at the end of January, “where more than 6,000 constituents had the chance to participate, ask questions, raise concerns and share their ideas with him, speak to him directly.”. “(Issa) doesn’t think that people should have to wait for a town hall in to have their voices heard,” Moore said, “which is why he encourages constructive dialogue, all year long, in through so many different methods — phone, email, surveys, mail, social media and personal meetings.”. Issa appeared with other state and local legislators at an in-person town hall in Oceanside in early ...

Issa, Hunter Have Issues With Trump Travel Ban

... he supported or opposed it. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, says he was "extremely disappointed" about how the Trump travel ban was carried out, but didn't say whether he supported or opposed it. (ANDREW KELLY / Reuters Photo). Joshua Stewart Contact Reporter. San Diego’s two Republican House members who backed Donald Trump for president said Monday his executive order barring travel from seven Muslim-majority countries comes with flaws. Reps. Darrell Issa and Duncan Hunter both levied criticisms of Trump’s policy, adding to a list of conservatives who saw problems with the new president’s order that stops people from seven countries from entering the United States. Issa, R- Vista , said the policy’s implementation was rocky, while Hunter, R-Alpine, said Iraqis who helped American forces during the war should receive special ...