Rep. Issa: President Obama Doesn't Respect the Constitution
The House Oversight Committee voted on Wednesday to censure IRS Commissioner John Koskinen over claims that he obstructed the investigation into whether the IRS targeted conservative groups seeking tax exemption status – but is this move politically motivated? Former House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa says this is all about holding Executive Branch officials accountable when they give false testimony to Congress.
“We have Congress, the House and the Senate who have found themselves neutered over the last many years by a President who doesn’t respect the Constitution and is perfectly willing to do things the way he wants, and then dare us to do something -- we find ourselves with few tools,” he said.
Despite many efforts to get to the bottom of the investigation and considerations from House GOP leaders to impeach the IRS Commissioner, Issa said the vote “appeared to be partisan” adding “it’s partisan on behalf of the Democrats who know they’ve been lied to.”
The former House Oversight Committee Chairman also hopes the vote will play a role in the 2016 presidential election.
“What the American people should be asking during this election and after the election is; when is Congress going to live up to its duty? Re-balance so that a president is not an emperor and this is particularly important because it appears as if we have two candidates , both of whom, and I’m trying to be non-partisan, would probably push the envelope in the same direction that President Obama has done,” he said.