2022 election: Q&A with Rep. Darrell Issa, 48th Congressional District candidate

By The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board

April 21, 2022 6 AM PT

There are four candidates on the June 7 ballot in the campaign for the newly redrawn 48th Congressional District that represents much of east San Diego County. Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is being challenged by registered nurse Stephen Houlahan and community volunteer Matthew G. Rascon, both Democrats, and entertainment industry technician Lucinda Jahn, a no-party preference candidate. The top two vote-getters will advance to a Nov. 8 runoff.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board e-mailed each candidate a 12-question survey. If you have comments or questions about the election or any of the candidates after reading this interview, please email Editorial and Opinion Director Matthew T. Hall at matthew.hall@sduniontribune.com.

Below are Issa’s responses and a link to the other responses.

Q: What will be your top domestic and international priority in Congress?

A: My top priorities are the safety of our communities, the economic opportunity of our working men and women, the securing of our homeland and nation’s borders, and the fundamental freedoms granted to us as Americans.

Q: What more can Congress do to combat climate change?

A: The issue of climate is needlessly politicized. And the current congressional leadership has made this worse by advancing the extreme aspects of the Green New Deal, which is deeply controversial and unpopular — among Democrats and Republicans. This has prevented consensus and cooperation on preservation and protection issues of lands, waters, forests and other ecological benefit.

Q: How do you assess the Biden administration’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine? What would you have done differently?

A: The Biden administration was a bystander from the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, including conducting a 65-minute phone call between the president and Russian President Vladimir Putin — which was followed shortly by the Russian invasion. The White House has repeatedly refused to consult with the Congress, to detail specifically how we can work together, and to share true strategic goals of our country.

Q: U.S. immigration policy is complex. What two areas would you focus on to make changes to it?

A: The Biden administration destroyed our nation’s border security. It has thrown away what was working, ended congressionally approved border infrastructure and released hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants into the country, while starving our front-line border patrol of tools and resources. This must be reversed.

Q: How should the United States handle the growing number of refugees and asylum seekers from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Central and South America and elsewhere?

A: The Biden administration also broke our nation’s refugee and asylum systems. The White House’s hostility to the “Wait in Mexico” policy guaranteed a refugee crisis would follow. This country simply cannot refuse to enforce its rules and laws.

Q: How would you try to improve border wait times for personal and commercial crossers at the U.S.-Mexico border?

A: The administration refuses to work with a bipartisan Congress to address this. It is a casualty of the Biden White House’s denial of border resources and infrastructure.

Q: What specific steps does the nation need to take immediately and over time to ensure it’s better prepared to handle the next pandemic?

A: The most specific step we must take is to honestly assess the severity of any disease with the risks and impacts of protocol action. The shutting down of the economy, closing of schools and masking of toddlers are policies that have greatly damaged the credibility of our public health system.

Q: What role, if any, should the government play in helping American workers obtain health insurance? If you support a government-related insurance plan, how would you finance it?

A: By any measure, Obamacare is an expensive mistake that separated millions of Americans from their doctors. I also authored legislation — the Access to Insurance for All Americans Act — to open up the federal health insurance system to the public.

Q: How would you use your federal position to advance local issues, such as housing, homelessness, and veterans affairs?

A: I believe our congressional delegation would be very receptive on a bipartisan basis to assist creative solutions developed by state and local government — this extends to homelessness (which was handled far better under San Diego’s previous Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and his careful approach should be studied more closely) and housing (which has been made needlessly scarce and expensive by extreme environmental restrictions and opposition to smart and sensible housing development). Finally, as an Army veteran who achieved the rank of captain, our work can’t stop to continue to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs and help the more than 1,000 active-duty military members who have been discharged by President Joe Biden’s destructive military vaccine mandate.

Q: How would you address economic pressures facing Americans with high inflation, gas prices and other costs and how would you address the massive national debt clouding America’s future?

A: The Biden administration has been a disaster for our economy. Shutting down America’s energy resources gave us the highest gas prices ever. Injecting trillions of dollars in new government spending slowed job creation and expansion and caused the worst inflation in 40 years — while making our debt and deficit far worse.

Q: How worried are you about how polarized the U.S. has become? Do you think our democracy is at risk?

A: I’m extremely optimistic about the nation’s future and the ways that a new Congress can get to work on solutions in 2023.

Q: When have you shown independence from your political party on a significant issue?

A: The Washington Post has called me one of the most effective members of Congress. That doesn’t happen without being independent and willing to work across the aisle at all times.

Editor’s note: The San Diego Union-Tribune refers to people who cross the border illegally as undocumented immigrants, avoiding words like “unauthorized” or “illegal” to describe them unless it is in a direct quote or official document. Rep. Darrell Issa’s answer is being published as submitted.