Statement by Congressman Darrell Issa

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50) made the following statement:

"Congress does itself no favors when it puts off for months what it could achieve in days, negotiates in secret, spends what it does not have, and leverages a looming government shutdown and impending holiday season as a motivation to vote yes and get it all over with.

"That there are worthwhile items among $1.7 trillion in spending is not disputable – but it's also not the point. As a native of Cleveland, I’ve known many losing sports teams that included star players. It did not change the reality that the teams were not successful enough and needed to be rebuilt.

"Fundamentally, this omnibus process brings into full display how House Democrats have abused their majority and why the American people took it away. Speaker Pelosi’s ensuing scramble to squeeze every partisan advantage right up to the last moment before a Republican majority takes over should inspire voters to wait a very long time before considering returning her team to power.

"My late friend and longtime Congressional colleague Elijah Cummings had a favored refrain that he said to me many times: 'We are better than this.'

"It was a seemingly simple statement, but it captured a recognition that the Congress as an institution should honor its highest ideals, not its narrowest interests.

"I cannot support this unnecessary and unjustified omnibus spending package."

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Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 50th Congressional District. The District encompasses the central and northeastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, San Marcos, 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.