Key Issa Priorities Included in House-Passed NDAA

On June 18, The House of Representatives has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes two key provisions authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48).

The first, adopted during the House Armed Services Committee, authorizes that the Congressional Medal of Honor be awarded to Navy Captain (Ret.) Royce Williams, a constituent of California’s 48^th District, for acts of astonishing valor during the Korean War. In a mission only recently declassified, Williams shot down over 4 Soviet MiGs in a solo dogfight, ensuring the safety of his shipmates aboard the USS Oriskany. Listen to Captain Williams’ story here.

The second, amendment 310, requires a range of federal agencies led by the State Department to develop and present to Congress a recurring assessment of how the United States and key partners would respond to an invasion, blockade, or other military aggression by China against Taiwan.

House Republicans also delivered several more wins in the NDAA:

• Fully funding our national defense while cutting costs and improving efficiency.

• Improving servicemember quality of life to address military recruitment, retention, and readiness.

• Increasing oversight and requiring accountability from the Biden Administration.

• Improving military readiness, strengthening our industrial base, and supporting the deployment of innovative and new technologies to ensure our warfighters are prepared for whatever lies ahead.
• Providing unprecedented levels of support for, our ally, Israel, and the resources necessary to counter our adversaries.

• Continuing DoD support of law enforcement operations along our southwest and maritime borders.

“This year’s NDAA advances America’s interest around the world and sees to the needs of our veterans,” said Rep. Issa.  “I’m especially proud the legislation includes two lasting priorities: Countering CCP aggression and awarding history’s real Top Gun – the great Royce Williams – with the Congressional Medal of Honor.”

Full text of the House-approved NDAA can be found here.

Issa to Convene Hearing Examining Copyright, Radio, and the Music Industry Featuring Randy Travis

On June 25, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, will convene a hearing entitled “Radio, Music, and Copyrights: 100 Years of Inequity for Recording Artists” on June 26 at 2 p.m. ET.

The hearing will highlight the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA), Rep. Issa’s legislation to ensure that artists and music creators are paid when their songs are played on FM/AM radio. Issa’s bill specifically brings radio broadcasters in line with the music industry by compensating artists for the performance of their work.

“For 100 years, American copyright law has denied fair compensation to songwriters when their music is played on the radio – denying them as much as $100 million in profits from a flaw almost completely unique to the U.S.,” said Rep. Issa. “It’s time for Congress to correct this mistake and allow these artists to collect the royalties they have earned. The American Music Fairness Act will deliver just that.”

The hearing will feature Country Music Hall of Fame recording artist Randy Travis and examine flaws in American copyright law that prevent the creators and publishers of music from receiving royalties for their work broadcast over radio. The hearing will also explore competing legislative proposals addressing this medium and the payment of royalties.

AMFA has been cosponsored by the following members:

• Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-12)
• Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36)
• Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-05)
• Rep. Mark E. Green (TN-07)
• Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
• Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28)
• Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37)
• Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-37)
• Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-30)

Witnesses testifying at the hearing include:

• Randy Travis (assisted by his wife, Mary Travis) – Recording artist
• Curtis LeGeyt – President and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters
• Mike Huppe – President and CEO, SoundExchange
• Eddie Harrell – Regional Vice President and General Manager, Radio One, Inc., Cleveland

“Royalties are critical for survival in today’s music industry, and that’s especially true for working-class musicians and performers who are not able to tour,” said Travis. “The American Music Fairness Act will make a real difference in the lives of working musicians – not just big-name artists, but folks all around the country who play on albums or sing backup vocals on top of a nine-to-five job. I’m looking forward to this hearing and talking about the urgent need for Congress to pass this bill and level the playing field for creators,” said Mr. Travis.

Issa Touts Wins in State Department Appropriations Bill, Urges Passage

On June 26, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, highlighted several priorities included in the committee-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.

Rep. Issa’s proposals promote America’s core interests, including countering China, addressing inefficiencies in government services, and enhancing oversight of executive branch spending.

“President Biden has lit the world on fire, made our homeland less safe, and diminished America on the world stage. This year’s State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill is a serious and detailed effort that outlines crucial steps toward reasserting American leadership,” said. Rep. Issa. “Chairman Diaz-Balart listened to all sides of the Conference and developed a conservative foreign policy architecture for the House.”

Rep. Issa’s priorities included in the appropriations bill include:

• Increasing Foreign Military Financing funding for our treaty ally, the Philippines, from $40 million to $100 million to help defend against China.
• Continuing to block funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
• Defunding the Global Engagement Center (GEC) when its authorization expires at the end of the year.
• Enhancing vetting for USAID subgrantees, several of which were discovered to have ties to terrorism.
• Report language addressing backlogged visa wait times and passport processing.

On June 12, the House Appropriations Committee passed H.R. 8771, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025 by a vote of 31-26.

The text of the bill can be found on the Appropriations Committee website here and the text of the Committee Report to accompany the bill can be found here.

Issa on 2025 Defense Appropriations: Strongest I Have Ever Seen

On June 28, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) applauded House passage of H.R. 8774, the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Defense Appropriations Act.

The bill, led by California Chairman Ken Calvert (CA-41), delivers on key national defense priorities including combating the Chinese Communist Party, modernizing the U.S. military to meet future needs, improving servicemember support, and continuing the support for close ally, Israel.

“A strong national defense is essential to deterring conflict. With this funding bill the Republican House once again demonstrates the unmistakable priority we place on a ready and lethal fighting force capable of protecting and defending America in the face of any challenge,” Issa said. “I commend my Southern California colleague, Chairman Calvert, for his exceptional leadership in crafting this legislation that supports servicemembers and their families and enhances the exceptional defense resources and talents of the Southern California region.”

Specifically, the bill:

• Counteracts Chinese Aggression: Allocates $200 million in military support to Taiwan and strengthens U.S. operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Modernizes Military Capabilities: Invests in next-generation combat and support assets, enhances the nuclear triad, and drives innovation through strategic capital funding.
• Supports Servicemembers: Provides a 4.5% pay raise for all personnel and an additional 15% raise for junior enlisted members.
• Aids Israeli Defense: Allocates $500 million in military funding for Israeli Cooperative Missile Defense systems to support Israel in its fight against Hamas and Hezbollah.

The text of the bill can be found here.

Issa: Democrat Lawfare Collided With the Constitution – And Lost

On July 1, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) released the below statement following the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. United States.

“The Supreme Court today decisively applied decades of settled precedent and agreed upon interpretations of presidential immunity. It was inevitable that the Democrat campaign of warp-speed warfare and weaponizing prosecutions was going to collide with the Constitution and be halted in its tracks.

“Donald Trump’s only crime is exposing Joe Biden as a failed president and an elderly man with a poor memory. The court has now spoken, and it is for the people to decide this election.”

Issa Blasts Plan to Place Sexually Violent Predator in Poway
“Our community is being disproportionately targeted – and that will stop”

On July 9, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) condemned the decision by the California Department of State Hospitals and the San Diego Superior Court to place Merle Wakefield – a Sexually Violent Predator with a criminal record dating back almost 40 years – into a private home in Poway, CA.

“This is only the latest effort by Governor Newsom and Sacramento to dump some of the most dangerous and threatening criminals from custody and warehouse them in our community near the children and their families who would be their next victims,” said Rep. Issa. “As we have before, we will rally the parents, residents, and leaders of our East County community and stop this unthinkable decision.”

Sexually Violent Predators (SVPs) are clinically diagnosed individuals convicted of serious and sexually violent crimes. They are diagnosed and designated by medical doctors as incurable and are neither undergoing treatment nor in recovery. They are an obvious danger to any community, which is why these individuals should be confined within secure facilities, not in local neighborhoods. In addition, more SVPs have been placed in the 48th Congressional District than any other in California.

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus added: “Wakefield, who suffers from uncontrollable impulses and has been deemed a threat to all women, would be a ticking time bomb in such close proximity to horse facilities where many women and girls are present day and night. Poway will stand together to say: Not here, not now, not ever!”

“According to the most recent data, more than 70 percent of SVPs released into communities in California violated the terms of their release and were returned to custody. But California’s state government continues to force these predators into residential areas alongside parents, children, and seniors,” said Rep. Issa. “There is a far better solution than the current broken system that seeks to compel communities to accept the relocation of dozens of these violent predators.”

In November of 2023, Rep. Issa introduced The Stopping Sexually Violent Predators Act, the most comprehensive legislation to date to reset the current broken system.

The Stopping SVPs Act will:

1. End federal taxpayer funding for SVPs outside of correctional or secure medical facilities.
2. Require states to report all convicted SVPs to the federal Department of Justice for review of potential federal charges.

The bill text can be found here.

Issa Introduces Discussion Draft of Legislation Reforming Third-Party Financed Civil Litigation

On July 11, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, introduced the Litigation Funding Transparency Act of 2024 to mandate disclosure of third-party litigation financing agreements in civil lawsuits.

Currently, civil litigation is funded by undisclosed third parties – including hedge funds, commercial lenders, and sovereign wealth funds operating through shell companies. This practice is particularly challenging in Intellectual Property (IP) litigation due to the proclivity for large settlements and the rise of patent-assertion entities (PAEs).

“This legislation is a breakthrough measure that will target serious abuses in our litigation system and achieve long-overdue transparency,” said Rep. Issa. “If a third-party investor is financing a lawsuit in federal court, it should be disclosed at the onset of the case. Awareness by all parties will help ensure fair and equal treatment by the justice system and deter bad actors from exploiting our courts.”

Third-party litigation financing also produces national security concerns, as a series of recent cases have revealed Chinese-backed funders fueling IP litigation against U.S. companies. These concerns have also been echoed by 14 State Attorneys General, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Senator Marco Rubio, and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Senator John Kennedy.

To address these threats and abuses, the bill would require disclosure – at the onset of a civil action – of investors who have a right to receive payment based on the outcome of a case.

The following organizations submitted statements of support:

• American Property Casualty Insurance Association
• Unified Patents
• Cisco Systems
• Center for Climate Integrity
• National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies
• U.S. Made
• National Association of Manufacturers
• Institute for Legal Reform
• Lawyers for Civil Justice

A one-pager can be found here and the bill text here.

Congressman Issa also recently convened a subcommittee hearing examining the impact of third-party funding on the legal system and IP litigation. Watch the hearing here.
Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 48th Congressional District. The District encompasses the central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, Poway, Temecula, Murrieta, 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.