Darrell Issa

Pressure For Town Halls Ratchets Up; Issa Not Biting

... policies of President Donald Trump , and it echoes similar requests facing Republican leaders nationwide including Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine. Some GOP congressmen who’ve held recent town halls have been met with angry crowds, including Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who was booed by constituents at a Feb. 9 gathering, and Rep. Tom Mc Clintock of the Northern California town of Roseville who on Feb. 4 was escorted by police officers from his standing-room-only town hall. In San Diego County, the focus on Issa has been especially pointed — hundreds of people have protested weekly outside his office, and have organized their own town hall in Vista set for Tuesday night, raising $6,000 for a full-page newspaper ad urging Issa to be there. Issa spokesman Calvin Moore said Wednesday the congressman is busy that night with a “long-standing obligation” to tour a local homeless shelter. He said Issa held a recent telephonic town hall that drew 6,000 ...

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

... have asked, ‘Where does (Issa) stand on this issue? Where does he stand on that? Where did he stand on the Muslim ban?” Montanari said. “His district director keeps saying, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know.’ If you don’t know the answer, how are we supposed to know what our member of Congress is thinking or saying?”. Montanari said Issa’s North County constituents would like to speak with their representative directly. “Congressman Issa," she said, “It’s people who live in your district who really want to hear from you — what you’re thinking, why you vote the way you do.”. Montanari said the meeting will be peaceful and moderated by a minister from the Universalist church. 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 ...

Republicans Put Issa In Special Re-election Program

... keep their seats. Issa, a Vista Republican, is an anomaly of the 10-member group. Serving in his ninth term, Issa joins five freshmen representatives, three more elected in 2015 and another in 2013. Clearly the most seasoned among them, Issa has chaired an influential House committee, and has built a national profile and network of donors. Unlike some of the Patriot Program’s other members, Issa’s district, which includes northern San Diego County and southern Orange County, is solidly Republican. While Issa has advantages going into the 2018 mid-term elections that his colleagues lack, he won re-election in the closest congressional race in the country after defeating Democrat Doug Applegate by a mere 1,621 votes. Applegate has already announced he’s running again. Patriot Program candidates ...

Darrell Issa On Need For Independent Prosecutor

... 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 office. “Some will say that President Trump does not have greatness within him. Some have already said that his Cabinet is made up of rich people whose success doesn’t really matter,” Issa said. “Donald Trump will not change the hearts and minds in 140 characters, although he tries. Donald Trump will succeed because you engage with your neighbors. … You will change hearts and minds. “And we will change America together.”. To the larger crowd, Issa didn’t address widespread concerns over controversial moves the administration has made on immigration and health care. Outside the convention at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento, a small group of protesters held up signs that read “hands off our health care” denouncing Republican plans to scrap Obamacare for a yet-to-be-delivered Republican health care law. Raucous protests have broken out across the state, with many citing concerns over losing access to health care under a Republican ...

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

... 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 promises to increase transparency in the federal government. Most of Issa’s speech, however, focused on promise ahead for the nation now that President Trump is in the White House. “I can tell you how Donald Trump won this election. Donald Trump believes in America’s greatness. He had the gall to say, 'Let’s make American great again,'” Issa said. Afterward, while talking with reporters, Issa repeated his call for a special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election, which could include any communications between Russian officials and the Trump administration. Issa first called for the independent investigation Friday night when he appeared on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher.”. “That’s historically the right way to deal with this,” Issa said Saturday. Issa also said he supports a robust, bipartisan investigation by the House and Senate intelligence committees. “Republicans and ...

Protest Vigil Outside Issa's Home Draws 200

... 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 have happened, said Rev. Beth Johnson, one of the organizers. Since late January, grassroots groups — many formed as part of the Indivisible movement — have protested weekly outside Issa’s office, asking to meet with the congressman. Johnson said the rallies, town hall and vigil highlight “the importance and urgency of being heard.”. The activists are getting help from organized labor and healthcare advocacy groups, including a coalition called Fight 4 Our Health, ...

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

... 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 more than staged PR events. I can’t help but note the hypocrisy of his complete avoidance of the public, as he only recently promised to listen to the citizens more. We have questions and concerns about the unwilling congressman who can travel to his district for a news conference at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating ...

Russia Investigation Needs Special Prosecutor

... "So he told that to multiple reporters, and then a White House aide asked if he would speak to one more, Langer added. "So he spoke to that reporter as well, telling that person the same thing he told 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 ...

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

... 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 ...