Issa Votes Against Creation of January 6 Commission

On May 19, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) voted against H.R. 3233 - the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act this evening.

Issa released the following statement:

”Over the last four months, essential inquiry and important questions regarding the events of January 6th have been asked and answered, while individuals responsible for breaking the law have been held to account. I believe the essential and ongoing bipartisan oversight work of Congress should be allowed to continue, and there is no reason that the current framework is insufficient to answering any legitimate questions that my remain.”

Congressman Issa Opposes Pelosi Plan for Permanent Militarization of U.S. Capitol

On May 20, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) opposed H.R. 3237, Emergency Security Supplemental to Respond to January 6th Appropriations Act. This bill would spend almost $2 billion in funding for a permanent militarized security system throughout the Capitol.
Issa released the following statement:
“I am completely opposed to the permanent militarization of security at the U.S. Capitol – and I will object to any effort that seeks to impose it. This is the people’s house, not a fortress that is off limits to the public and ringed by an excessive show of force. While we can improve security with civilian law enforcement, we have an obligation to maintain our most democratic institution and make it accessible to the people it serves.”

Issa Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Illegal Use of Stolen Trademarks

On May 20, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet in the House Judiciary Committee, and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) today announced the reintroduction of the “No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act.” They were joined by cosponsors Senator Robert Menendez (NJ) and Senator Marco Rubio (FL).

The bipartisan legislation forbids U.S. courts from recognizing, enforcing, or validating any proclamation of rights by an individual of a trademark confiscated by the Cuban government, without the consent of the original owner.

“This legislation is about more than one circumstance. It is the righting of a historical wrong and acknowledgement of the inherent value of intellectual property and the ownership of one’s ideas and creations,” said Issa. “This legislation specially makes a technical correction to our law to ensure that protections apply to all parties claiming U.S. rights to confiscated Cuban trademarks – regardless of nationality.”

“

I remain firmly committed to safeguarding the intellectual property rights of American companies to ensure that trademarks are protected against confiscation by any foreign government,” Rep. Wasserman Schultz said. “This legislation prohibits courts from validating an assertion of trademark rights in connection with a business or assets confiscated by the Cuban government and supports the true and just owners of stolen property – a long-held U.S. policy that absolutely must be continued.”

“Any confiscation of assets by the Castro regime is and always has been a crime,” said Sen. Menendez. “This bipartisan, bicameral bill will protect U.S. trademarks by codifying into law the longstanding U.S. policy of supporting rightful owners of stolen property by prohibiting courts from recognizing the rights of those subjected to confiscation without consent by the Cuban government.”

“It has long been U.S. policy to support the rightful owners of stolen property. For 60 years, the despotic Cuban dictatorship–through government-controlled companies–has profited from intellectual property that was stolen and rightfully belongs to ordinary Cubans and their descendants,” said Sen. Rubio. “I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill, which ensures that U.S. courts do not recognize, enforce, or otherwise validate any trademark rights from businesses or assets stolen by the Cuban regime.”

Background:

In 1959, the assets of Havana Club were seized by the Cuban government. Even though the trademark expired in 1974, descendants of Havana Club’s founder in 1994 retailed the trademark and recipe to Bacardi, one of the world’s largest liquor producers. Local Cuban firm Cuba Ron, however, filed and received a U.S. trademark on the name and aligned with Pernod Ricard to sell a competing “Havana Club” rum. Because of Cuba’s confiscation of the original company, this legislation bans the Cuba Ron/Pernod Ricard partnership from using the rights of Havana Club. The bill applies a trademark prohibition only if the individual asserting the rights knew or had reason to know the trademark was the same or substantially similar to one used with any confiscated business or assets.

Issa Calls on President Biden to Abandon “Dream” of Signing a Nuclear Agreement with Iran

Urges White House to “acknowledge that Iran is not now, and never has been, an honest broker willing to abide by any credible nuclear reduction agreement.”
On May 25, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today wrote a letter to President Biden urging an to end his administration’s pursuit of “a return to the failed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran Nuclear Deal.”

In the correspondence, Congressman Issa specifically cited a U.S. Department of State report outlining Iran’s long and deadly record of malevolence, including decades-long activities through its military and intelligence apparatus that have aided, conspired, and directly perpetrated terrorist attacks across five continents. He further demonstrated that as Israel was defending itself against terrorism propagated by Iran, Biden Administration officials were simultaneously looking for ways to engage Iran in face-to-face talks.

Issa wrote: “This troubling juxtaposition should inspire an honest review of both your diplomatic approach and condition-free strategic engagement with Iran – one of the world’s foremost terrorist states directly responsible for the death and destruction that it unleashes throughout the world.”

Issa also pointed out that recent media reports have detailed the extensive efforts of Biden officials to finalize a deal for the U.S. to return to direct JCPOA talks in Vienna: “Your Administration bowed to Iranian demands that these preliminary negotiations be conducted through European intermediaries. Instead of telling the truth about Iran to a world that should hear it, America’s representatives were preoccupied with passing notes back and forth to the mullahs.”
Read the letter here.

Issa Testifies Before House Natural Resources Member Forum on Lasting Damage of Biden’s Open Border Policies

On May 27, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) testified today before a House Natural Resources Committee-led forum on the impacts of the Biden Administration’s reckless open border policies. Committee Republicans held the session to call attention to the serious consequences of record-high level of migrant traffic into the United States.

“The chaos that is enveloping our southern border is the direct result of reckless actions and stunning indifference from the Biden Administration,” said Issa. “This was a forum that needed to be convened, and these are truths that needed to be told.  Having recently visited the California border sectors, the impact on California in particular needed to be aired in Congress.”

The forum included presentations from witnesses whose private property, livestock, outbuildings, vehicles, and crops have been damaged by the current flow of illegal migrants. Testimony was also heard from Arizona state officials that in just one instance, collected more than 460,000 pounds of trash discarded by migrants and traffickers onto public lands and desert wilderness areas near the border.

Congressman Issa pointed out that in April alone, Customs and Border Patrol encountered more than 178,000 people attempting to cross the border illegally – the highest one-month total in two decades. He also detailed his three tours of the border region in 2021, pointing out that there are caches of construction materials and heavy moving equipment rotting in the desert because the Biden Administration halted on its first day, needed construction on programs to bolster border security.

Issa specifically discussed the conditions along the California-Mexico border with Brandon Judd, President of the National Border Patrol Council. Judd told the Members of Congress and public viewing the livestreamed hearing that the Tijuana River and New River –which flow into the United States from Mexico – are so polluted that agents who come into contact with the water cannot reuse their uniforms.

Issa also described his concerns, discussed with Judd on a recent border region visit, that Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are leaving the force or retiring because of how they are being treated when dealing with an unprecedented flood of cross-border illegal migrants. “That means … we are going to lose people who can, in fact, look out for the environment and make sure that these areas are being protected.”

Click here to view Congressman Issa’s forum presentation.  Click here to view the entire forum.

Congressmen Issa, Johnson Call on GAO to Investigate PTAB Decision-Making Practices

On June 2, Congressmen Darrell Issa (CA-50), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, and Chairman Hank Johnson (GA-04), sent a letter to Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, seeking review of decision-making practices at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The correspondence is in response to government arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Arthrex, Inc.

Specifically, the congressmen are requesting GAO investigate eight sets of questions to help Congress determine if there is sufficient transparency and accountability in PTAB’s decision making.

Issa said, “The Patent Trial and Appeal Board is an integral part of the patent system, and it must conduct its judicial duties in an independent and transparent manner to ensure all participants can be confident in its process and the courts and Congress can ensure adequate oversight.”

Johnson stated, “If the (recent) government’s arguments are accurate, PTAB cases (as adjudicated by Administrative Patent Judges or APJs) may have been decided based on factors outside of the evidentiary record and public legal authority (e.g., statutes, regulations, court precedents) available to the parties. This possibility raises potential due process concerns and would be inconsistent with the intent of Congress in enacting the AIA.”

To read the full letter, click HERE.

Issa, Vargas Lead Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Visit to Otay Mesa Port of Entry Project

Representatives Issa, Vargas, Jacobs, Levin and Peters also 
conducted key meetings with local, state and federal U.S. officials
On June 11, At the invitation of Congressmen Darrell Issa and Juan Vargas, the San Diego Congressional delegation – including Congresswoman Jacobs and Congressmen Mike Levin and Scott Peters – visited the Otay Mesa Port of Entry II project to view construction progress and receive briefings on the facilities and port operations.

“This was a critically important trip, made all the more so because my colleagues and I conducted it as a unified, bipartisan delegation committed to ensuring that the voice of our shared region is heard on both sides of the border,” said Congressman Issa. “I am confident that the briefings we received and the input we made will make a lasting difference in the U.S. and Mexico.

“I was very pleased to visit the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana and the Otay Mesa Port of Entry alongside my San Diego Congressional Delegation colleagues, Representatives Issa, Peters, Levin, and Jacobs. I also appreciated hearing from SANDAG and Caltrans staff about the progress of the proposed Otay Mesa East Port of Entry. Binational and bipartisan collaboration and communication are key to addressing infrastructure and environmental challenges, as technology, communication, and the economy are rapidly evolving,” said Congressman Vargas. “Strengthening our international relations is crucial to promoting effective policies for all nations involved.”

“San Diegans know the importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship because we live it every day,” said Congresswoman Jacobs. “This bipartisan visit was a great opportunity to see the progress on the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project, receive briefings from a number of officials, and meet with the U.S. Counsel General. Our two countries are deeply connected and face a number of shared challenges, including COVID-19 and the Tijuana River, and San Diego is best served when we move forward in a spirit of partnership and respect.”

“I’m pleased with the productive bipartisan discussions fostered today with my San Diego Congressional delegation colleagues, Consul General Sue Saarnio, and officials during our visit to the border,” said Congressman Levin. “We must continue to engage in these conversations on behalf of our shared region and its residents to preserve our coastal waters, support necessary infrastructure projects, and bolster cross-border economic cooperation with our neighbors in Tijuana.”

“Meeting the needs of our region requires continued cooperation across the aisle. Bipartisanship made the infrastructure we saw in person today possible. Other pressing issues, including the Tijuana River Valley’s sewage problem and the state of our cross-border economies, are no different. I thank officials from SANDAG, CalTrans and the American Consulate in Tijuana for their work, and my colleagues Rep. Juan Vargas and Rep. Darrell Issa for their leadership today. This visit served as another reminder of the good work we can do when we work together.”

Customs and Border Protection and the General Services Administration leadership provided an update on the operations and construction status of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Caltrans and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) provided an overview on the proposed state-of-the-art, Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project.

In addition, the delegation met with U.S. Consul General Sue Saarnio. The Members received an update on the border country’s COVID recovery, migration status report and an update on the Tijuana River.

Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 50th Congressional District. The District encompasses the central and northeastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, San Marcos, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, El Cajon, Temecula, and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Issa served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2011-2015.