The U.S. House Oversight Committee plays an important role in holding our government accountable. Unfortunately, the current committee chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), has been overlooking real issues of concern to America’s taxpayers and workers in favor of witch hunts to please corporate donors and extremist allies. Is Issa answering to business interests or everyday citizens? Find out what Issa’s really been up to as “Oversight” chairman below. (Or download the PDF.)

Overreach Chairman

• Interferes in ongoing legal case, threatening due process

  Threatened due process by launching an unprecedented probe into an open NLRB complaint issued against the Boeing Corporation by holding hearings and issuing subpoenas for sensitive documents.

• Pushes anti-worker agenda

  Invited Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to testify at an Oversight hearing about state budget issues in an attempt to justify Walker’s repeal of collective bargaining rights as financially motivated. Ironically, Walker was forced to admit under oath that his attacks on collective bargaining would not save taxpayers money.

• Manufactures crisis about union political activity

  Federal labor law already protects workers who do not want their money going toward their unions’ political efforts. Yet Chairman Issa held a hearing, launched a website, and sent threatening letters to unions about a problem that doesn’t exist: forced worker participation in the political process through their unions.

• Pursued unwarranted witch hunt against federal employees

  Over the past year, Issa launched 11 investigations and made at least 46 document requests based on allegations of criminal misconduct at the DOE with little to no supporting evidence. All claims have turned out to be inaccurate.

Overlook Chairman

• Ignores NLRB’s watchdog report on serious ethics breaches

  Refused to hold a hearing on GOP NLRB member Flynn after an NLRB Inspector General report shows he compromised the board’s decision-making process by passing along sensitive, confidential information to corporate attorneys who conduct business before the NLRB, including a former senior adviser to Mitt Romney.

• Refuses to investigate Walmart’s efforts to weaken anti-bribery laws

  Issa won’t look into apparent efforts by Walmart to lobby against an important anti-corruption law at the very same time company executives were said to have violated it in Mexican business dealings.

• Turns a blind eye to dubious pharmaceutical company practices

  Has chosen not to investigate pharmaceutical companies that buy up essential medicines in short supply and transfer them to subsidiaries, that in turn sell the drugs at a high cost on the “Gray Market,” potentially a legal violation.

• Prioritizing the 1% over the 99%

  To date, Rep. Issa has refused to hold a hearing on skyrocketing CEO pay or Wall Street’s role in the economic downturn. Issa instead investigated the SEC for its investigation of Goldman Sachs for fraud, while he purchased Goldman Sachs bonds during this time period.

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