Darrell Issa - Political Views

Political Views

Issa holds a generally conservative political viewpoint. He has voted with the majority of House Republicans 94.7% of the time during the 111th Congress.

Issa is generally opposed to abortion and supports stem cell research, saying that "The promise of stem cells to provide innovative treatments and cures warrants investment in more advanced research".

In 2001 Issa voted for the authorization of the PATRIOT Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. He voted for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act in 2005 after successfully amending it to require judicial notification, reporting requirements and facts justifying the use of roving survelliance at new facilities or places.

He voted against the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation.

He has opposed attempts to ease restrictions on illegal immigration such as the "Blue Card" system, saying that it provides amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Issa has said he supports efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He voted against a cap and trade bill designed to cut them. Issa believes that "the science community does not agree to the extent of the problem or the critical threshold of when this problem is truly catastrophic."

He has been critical of No Child Left Behind, supporting a modification that would, in his words, "give states the freedom to adopt best practices for their students by returning flexibility and control to the educators and parents who are the real experts on education".

He signed the "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" of the Americans for Tax Reform, an organization that opposes all tax increases.

He is opposed to the Stop Online Piracy Act based on the amount of discretion the Department of Justice would have under the legislation as it is currently drafted. He plans to propose amendments that would reduce that discretion. Issa subsequently went on to cosponsor the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act.

He co-sponsored both the 2008 and 2009 versions (H.R. 6845 and H.R. 801, respectively) of the Fair Copyright in Research Works Act and sponsored the Research Works Act (H.R. 3699) introduced in 2011, all of which aim at a reversal of the NIH's Public Access Policy, which mandates open access to NIH-funded research.

He has endorsed Mitt Romney's candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2012 presidential election.