Top GOP oversight official Rep. Darrell Issa is responding forcefully to a push by his foil on the House oversight committee to give Democrats input on which congressional subpoenas he issues, including the ability to force a committee vote on subpoenas. Issa’s saying the proposal would grant Democrats “unprecedented new powers to obstruct oversight.”
In a letter, Issa denies key charges made by the committee’s ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummings, Maryland Democrat, in a missive sent Monday, including that Issa had vowed privately to use his subpoena power “more expansively” and would not bring any subpoenas to a vote.
The issue is crucial because the power of congressional subpoena – now held by Issa as the incoming oversight committee chairman – grants Republicans almost unlimited authority to access documents of the Obama administration and compel testimony by key officials.
Cummings is proposing a new rule for the committee that would require Issa to request his concurrence to every subpoena issued. If concurrence were not granted, the minority could force a full committee vote on whether to issue the subpoena. Cummings says this would codify the practice of past oversight committee chairmen.
Because Republicans hold a majority on the committee, the proposal would not likely give Democrats the ability to block any subpoenas, but would instead serve as another venue from which to attack Issa for what many Democrats charge is his partisan approach to oversight.
Cummings’s Monday missive to Issa, which came after shortly the two met privately in the morning, is the latest sign Cummings is staking out a role as a combative foil to the powerful new chairman, willing to fight for every inch.
The letter clearly rankled Issa, who basically called Cummings a liar in his Tuesday response.
“I furthermore do not appreciate the mischaracterization of our conversations about appropriate consultation before the issuance of the subpoena. Your letter, supposedly paraphrasing me, states that I intend to exercise my authority ‘more expansively by issuing subpoenas unilaterally.’ It adds that I would ‘not bring any subpoenas before the committee for a vote.’
“While I was not always consulted about the issuance of subpoenas as ranking member, I have clearly and unambiguously told you that I, as chairman, am committed to doing so going forward. I have never stated that I would not bring a subpoena before the committee and would, in fact, seriously consider such a request,” Issa said.
On another matter regarding which documents the new Republican majority staff are providing the minority Democrats, Issa said a push for Cummings for more disclosure is “extreme and inconsistent with the past actions of the committee,” pointing to an instance when then-Chairman Henry Waxman asked Republican staff to leave the room as Democrats were analyzing documents sent from the Bush White House.
However, Issa did provide a letter specifically requested by Cummings, a Jan. 14 inquiry to Department of Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano.