Ginni Thomas

Issa slams closure of WWII memorial, says ‘every day counts’ for aging vets [VIDEO]

Grae Stafford Freelance Photographer
Font Size:

(Photo credit: Grae Stafford)

In an interview with The Daily Caller in the midst of the government shutdown, California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa called out President Barack Obama for his “punitive nature” for closing the National World War II Memorial.

Since the start of the government shutdown at midnight Oct. 1, all federal properties have been closed to the public — including the open-air WWII memorial built largely with private funds. The memorial became the focal point of the shutdown after police denied Honor Flight WWII access to the memorial. The veterans stormed it anyway.

(Photo credit: Grae Stafford)

(Photo credit: Grae Stafford)

“It’s amazing that the president would actually spend money to close something that is always open 24 hours a day, seven days a week?” Issa, who as chairman of the House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation of the incident, said. “I think it really shows the punitive nature of how they want to work this [shutdown].”

“It is amazing to me that the president doesn’t get it, that those World War Two veterans have only days to get here,” Issa lamented. “Every day counts for them.”

(Photo credit: Grae Stafford)

(Photo credit: Grae Stafford)

Catch TheDC’s exclusive interview with Issa on Sunday.

Follow Grae on Twitter