Op Ed: Congressman Issa on Climate Change—Wrong, Wrong, Wrong…So Wrong

Congressman Darrell Issa, chairman of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and a no show in his home district (the ) for the entire campaign season, has been steadfast in his harsh positions and actions regarding climate change, global warming, and our changing environment. 

Check out this quote pulled from Darrell Issa’s website:

“One of the difficulties in examining the issue of the climate change and greenhouse gases is that there is a wide range of scientific opinion on this issue and the science community does not agree to the extent of the problem or the critical threshold of when this problem is truly catastrophic.”

I wonder if Mr. Issa is going to blame the science community for not giving him the actual dates in advance of the catastrophe that was Hurricane Sandy. I wonder what the citizens along the coast of New York and New Jersey think about Mr. Issa’s make-believe view that there is ‘wide range of scientific opinion’ of ‘the extent of the problem’.

I briefly spoke to Darrell Issa’s legislative aide last week on Halloween at a US Postal Workers against Mr. Issa’s position to privatize the postal service. The rally was at Issa’s district office in Vista (and his personal business office). I paraphrased this website quote to him in the context of Hurricane Sandy’s devastation and what seems like a myopic political position. He said something like “….the problem is very complex, it is bigger than just the USA, and that ‘is’ the problem…”.

OK, I get it. Why should America bite-the-bullet and even consider doing something hard like attacking climate change in a big way, or hardening our at-risk coast lines (read: spending taxpayer dollars, possibly adding more regulations to limit emissions). Why? Because America leads, that is why! And usually where America goes the world follows!

Another quote from the same Darrell Issa website:

“Now is the time to encourage the development of zero-emission clean energy generation, such as nuclear, hydro-electricity, wind, solar, all of which can meet our energy needs now and replace older and dirtier fossil fuel generation.”

Actions speak louder than words, and in this case Congressman Issa’s positions, actions, votes and his own words show he lacks any credibility when it comes to doing what is right by our nation and its citizens.

Mr. Issa famously used his committee—three investigations of wasted government resources and tax payer dollars—to try and discredit the science behind climate change with his misguided attacks on free thinking scientists at the United Kingdom’s University of East Anglia Climate Change Research unit, the so called ‘Climategate’ controversy. He was rebuffed when the truth and facts became known. The science behind climate change is incontrovertible, it is without debate, accept it or get out of the way.

Mr. Issa used his Committee—11 investigations of wasted government resources and tax payer dollars—to repeatedly accuse Department of Energy employees of engaging in illegal criminal conduct, disregarding the law and basing decisions on partisan politics and corruption. All claims that have been proven untrue.  (But these statements are all very good descriptions of Darrell Issa’s own personal, professional and political life, past and present (The New Yorker, Jan 24, 2011, “Don’t Look Back”; and The New York Times, Aug, 14, 2011, “A Businessman in Congress Helps His District and Himself”).

His attacks were so distasteful to the DOE that Rep Elijah Cummings, ranking member on the House Oversight Committee issued a formal letter to the chairman telling “…Issa to refrain from making unsubstantiated allegations against Department of Energy employees and to correct the record for multiple claims that have proved inaccurate…”.

Mr. Issa used his committee to challenge the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to set rules limiting greenhouse gas emission from autos and light trucks when recent negotiated agreements between the White House and automotive manufacturers of cars and light trucks dared to set new national fleet average miles per gallon numbers: by 2016 = 35.5 MPG, by 2025 = 54.5 MPG (and a 50 percent cut in greenhouse gas/CO2 emissions). I don’t see the problem here, does anyone?

Mr. Issa voted against Cap and Trade, and he has been unrelenting in his criticism of the White House regarding the failure of the solar panel maker Solyndra during the stimulus program. 

His positions and his behavior are an ongoing embarrassment to many in his ‘new’ district; I for one look forward to the day he is removed, or removes himself, from office.   

Dr. David S. Golman

Encinitas, CA

Citizen in the 49th Congressional District