Congressman Issa Questions Army Secretary on Biden Vaccine Mandate

Calls destructive mandate “Clear abuse of presidential power”

On March 15, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) sent a letter to U.S. Army Secretary Christine E. Wormuth including questions regarding the shortfall of information and specifics about recent reports of a religious accommodation granted by the Army to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

“President Biden’s military vaccine mandate has already discharged hundreds of active-duty troops – and tens of thousands more are set to meet the same fate, said Rep. Issa. “It threatens lives of service and ends careers of honor. This must stop now.”

To view a full copy of the letter, click HERE.

“For months, hundreds of active-duty military members have been reaching out to my office searching for help and revealing the troubling details of this destructive mandate. They understand all too well its devastating impact on their families, their fellow soldiers, and our nation’s force readiness,” said Issa.

Rep. Issa has been a leading national opponent of the Biden mandate, publishing an op-ed in Fox News outlining the full scope of his opposition for all of our active-duty military, in addition to the National Guard and Reserve forces. Issa offered an amendment to floor legislation to prevent funding to be used to enforce the mandate for Guard and Reserve forces.

He also created a portal on his website for service men and women being threatened with discharge from the military. Hundreds of military personnel have been in contact with Rep. Issa’s office seeking assistance.

Congressman Issa Issues Statement on Zelensky Address

On March 16, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) issued the following statement following Ukrainian President Zelensky’s address to Congress.

“President Zelensky has again shown courage under fire and the gallant determination of a nation that wants to live on its feet and not on its knees. He must have more than our sympathy. His nation has our admiration and has earned our support,” said Issa.

“I call on the Biden Administration to work directly with both parties and both houses of Congress to stand for freedom around the world.”

Issa Testifies Before Congressional Committee to Advance San Diego Water Projects

“Projects balance community needs, resource preservation”

On March 16, Congressman Darrell Issa testified today before the House of Representatives Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee in support of three San Diego area projects for which he has requested targeted federal funding.

“California has enduring water needs and I am proud to advocate for these essential local water projects before Congress today,” said Rep. Issa. “We have an enduring obligation to seek consensus solutions that balance the needs of our community and our commitment to be wise stewards of our precious natural resources. These projects do just that.”

Each of the local efforts is eligible for Army Corps of Engineers support under the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), bipartisan multi-year funding legislation to support wastewater, water treatment, environmental cleanup, navigation, flood control, and other programs. If included in the final bill of the full House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, each project will be further supported by state or local funds.

Background on the three projects requested by Congressman Issa:

• The Padre Dam Municipal Water District is a key partner in the East County Advanced Water Purification Program. This collaborative program is helping to drought-proof San Diego County by providing a new source for drinking water and eliminate 15 million gallons per day of treated wastewater discharge. All told, this will support approximately 30 percent of the region’s drinking water demand.

• The Escondido Creek Flood Control Project will help provide design and construction to manage stormwater, expand groundwater infiltration, improve water quality, and benefit more than 450 single- and multi-family homes along and around the creek that are currently paying for flood insurance.

• The 50th Congressional District is home to more federally-recognized tribes than almost all other districts in the country – 18 tribal communities in total. The Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians is seeking approximately one mile of water distribution lines and approximately one mile of reclaimed water pipeline to better facilitate sewer processing and support groundwater recharge.

Additional information about the projects: https://issa.house.gov/media/in-the-news/water-resources-development-act-2022-requests

Issa Proposes Congressional Investigation into Big Tech/Media Censorship of Hunter Biden Scandals

“Congress must seek the full truth of the worst media and political scandal in a generation”

On March 18, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) issued the following statement following his call for a fact-finding investigation by the House of Representatives into actions by technology companies, media organizations and political allies of the Democrat Party to censor media coverage and prevent public awareness of the numerous scandals of Hunter Biden.

“We know for a fact that Big Tech, the mainstream media, and allies of the Democrat Party worked together in the last days of the 2020 election to censor fact-based journalism and shut down social media platforms to ensure that the public did not have access to the truth about the scandals involving Hunter Biden and the Biden family. This is the most consequential political scandal since Watergate, and it deserves an investigation no less robust and no less bipartisan.

“It is not acceptable for tech companies to claim their political censorship was a “mistake”, not acceptable for the mainstream media to authenticate what it termed disinformation and helped to shield from public view, and not acceptable for both to collude with Democrat partisans and work to impact an election. It’s time for the full truth to be told.”

Issa, Jeffries Introduce Human Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022

On March 22, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50), along with Rep. Jeffries (NY-8), Rep. Mace (SC-1), and Rep. Bass (CA-37), announced the introduction of the Human Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022, which will require the posting of the contact information of the National Human Trafficking Hotline in the restrooms of all U.S. airplanes, airports, trains, train stations, busses, and bus stations to aid trafficking victims and individuals who notice a potential victim.

“Human trafficking is a crisis in every corner of our country, and the victims of this scourge need our support and deserve our commitment to fight back every way we can,” said Rep. Issa. “The Human Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022 is a step in the right direction, which I hope is only the beginning of a new and lasting commitment to comprehensive enforcement and education measures from a unified Congress.”

“A phone call can save a life and stop an individual from being trafficked at their most vulnerable moment. But, to make that call, you need to know who to call. The National Human Trafficking Hotline does lifesaving work to stop human trafficking and provide support to victims, and we must spread their information as far and wide as possible,” said Rep. Jeffries. “I am proud to have worked with Reps. Issa, Bass and Mace to introduce this important legislation to post the contact information of the hotline across our nation’s transportation infrastructure.”

The full text of the bill can be found HERE.

Congressman Issa, Senator Cruz Introduce Legislation to Stop Biden Administration from Waiving Sanctions on Iran Nuclear Program

On March 22, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced bicameral legislation with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to prohibit the Biden administration from waiving sanctions that prohibit cooperation on Iran’s nuclear program. The sanctions were originally issued under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action during the Obama Administration.

“There may be no limit to this Administration’s desperation to reconstruct a nuclear deal with the terrorist Mullahs of Iran. But that makes this rogue agreement no less dangerous and our determination to stop it is stronger than ever,” said Issa. “This is one of the most serious mistakes of even this very error-prone White House, and Sen. Cruz and I will see to it that the details of this agreement are brought to light and the Congress has the opportunity to reject it.”

Last week, the Biden administration provided a classified briefing to Congress on the Iran deal. The Biden administration has further confirmed its proposed waivers will allow Russia to accept a $10 billion development project from Iran.

“This is a quid pro quo the administration has negotiated with the Iranians and Russians that Biden intends to deliver by executive fiat,” said Issa.

Issa Puts Big Tech, White House, and Intelligence Community Partisans on Notice: Don’t Delete or Destroy Evidence of Collusion in Hunter Biden Scandal

On March 25, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) issued the following statement after sending document preservation notices to Biden White House officials, Facebook, and Twitter executives, and Intelligence Community partisans involved with the coordination and collusion in the Hunter Biden laptop scandal.

“There’s no question that Big Tech colluded with some of the nation’s most powerful media and most influential Democrat partisans in the intelligence community to suppress the truth, censor fact-based journalism, and shelter the Biden family from political and legal scrutiny,” said Issa. “We will ensure that the truth is revealed and that those associated with corruption and collusion are held accountable.”

The recipients of Congressman Issa’s notices are as follows:

Mark Zuckerberg – Chairman and CEO, Meta
Andy Stone – Policy Communications Director, Meta
Parag Agrawal – CEO, Twitter
Jack Dorsey – CEO, Block
Jen Psaki – White House Press Secretary
Ronald Klain – White House Chief of Staff
Kate Bedingfield – White House Communications Director
John Brennan – Former Director, CIA
James Clapper – Former Director of National Intelligence
Leon Panetta – Former Director, CIA
Mike Hayden – Former Director, CIA
Nick Shapiro – Former Deputy Chief of Staff, CIA

Individual notices sent to recipients can be found HERE.

Congressman Issa Announces 2022 Congressional Art Competition

On March 28, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) is now accepting submissions for the 2022 Congressional Art Competition, a contest for high school students in the 50^th Congressional District to showcase their artistic creations to be displayed in the Capitol Building.

“I’m always amazed by the scope of imagination and range of artistic expression by young artists in our community. This is their opportunity to present their best and allow us to ensure that it is presented in the People’s House,” said Issa.

The winning selection will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol alongside artwork from students from across the nation. The second-place winning piece will be displayed in the Office of Congressman Issa for the same time-period.

Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, up to 4 inches in depth, and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must be framed by the entrant. Types of artwork include:

• Paintings – including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
• Drawings – including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
• Collages – must be two dimensional
• Prints – including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
• Mixed Media – use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
• Computer-generated art
• Photography

In addition to having their art hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year, the first-place winner, will also receive an invitation to attend a reception with other winners in Washington, D.C. during the summer months.

To participate, please submit a high-resolution photo of your artwork (jpeg or png format) and the 2022 Student Release Form to Christopher Mika at christopher.mika@mail.house.gov by Noon, Friday, April 29, 2022.

For additional details on the competition, please visit https://issa.house.gov. With questions, please contact staff member Chris Mika at 760-304-7575.

Issa Issues Statement as Border Patrol Prepares for Massive Surge of Illegal Immigrants

On April 1, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) issued the following statement after the Biden Administration’s decision to lift Title 42, even though it is expected to result in a flood of additional illegal immigrants and burdening already overwhelmed border patrol personnel.

“This is a reckless decision by an Administration that from its first day opened our southern borders, demoralized our front line border patrol, and allowed in unprecedented human trafficking and fentanyl supply,” said Issa. “Despite the President’s empty promise at his State of the Union address to secure the border, Biden’s border crisis will only continue. That’s why a new Congress next year is an imperative.”

Issa Statement on U.S. Navy Pausing Disastrous Biden Vaccine Mandate

On April 3, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) issued the following statement after the U.S. Navy announced it would halt discharging active-duty military who requested religious accommodations for the Biden Vaccine Mandate.

“For months I have advocated for the suspension of the destructive Biden military vaccine mandate that has already ended more than a thousand active-duty military careers of honor. It is among the worst actions by any Commander in Chief in history and an unmitigated abuse of presidential power,” said Issa.

“Today, I believe the Navy has taken a decisive step in acknowledging this continuing crisis by halting the discharging of Sailors seeking an exemption to the Biden mandate.

“If preserved, the Navy will retain thousands of trained, experienced, and dedicated team members who seek to continue their careers of service and live their lives of honor. And, the Navy will avoid significant harm to force readiness at a critical time of ongoing international threats.

“But this is only the beginning, and the fight is far from over. I call on the President and the Secretary of Defense to pause this damaging and divisive mandate for all branches of the military. It is already long overdue.”

Congressman Issa has been a leading national opponent of the Biden mandate, publishing an op-ed in Fox News outlining the full scope of his opposition for all of our active-duty military, in addition to the National Guard and Reserve forces. Issa offered an amendment to floor legislation to prevent funding to be used to enforce the mandate for Guard and Reserve forces.

He also created a portal on his website for service men and women being threatened with discharge from the military. Hundreds of military personnel have been in contact with Congressman Issa’s office seeking assistance.

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.