Congressman Issa Statement on World Economic Forum
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) made the following statement:
“Throughout my career, I have worked to take the message of American Exceptionalism everywhere it needs to be heard. Sometimes, that means places that may not agree.
“I’ve given speeches about the best of America in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. I’ve spoken out against Iran only a few miles from its border. I’ve called out China and stood with the leaders of Taiwan. I’ve traveled to our southern border and told the truth about the epidemic of crime, trafficking, and fentanyl plaguing our neighbor and the crisis it has caused in this country.
“Each time, much of the audience didn’t want to hear it.
“Over the years, the World Economic Forum has gotten much wrong – from crippling COVID lockdowns, to climate extremism, to exacerbating the global energy crisis, to the manifest dangers of the Chinese Communist Party.
“I’m not afraid to say this in front of the conference, and this year is no exception. The WEF’s 2023 invitations to the presidents of Azerbaijan and the Congo are a mistake. So, too, is the Forum’s decision to provide a special platform for a major Chinese official.
“That is why no American leader should be unwilling to tell the world what we are doing right. No conservative should be unwilling to go where progressive activists, world leaders, and the mainstream media are gathered and tell them when they are wrong.
“I believe we benefit from participating in conversations where we tell the truth about America’s point of view. We should not accede to being excluded from a deeper dialogue at the World Economic Forum any more than being shut out of college campuses, online platforms, or public forums. This is what liberals are doing all over the world to drive away dissent and prevent free speech.
“As I attend the World Economic Forum – with bipartisan Congressional colleagues – I will not be a silent observer. I will continue to be a forceful voice for our conservative values of liberty and freedom and the best of what makes America great.”
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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, 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.