Summary Of Congressman Issa's Watchdog

The book Watchdog was written by Congressman Darrell Issa and published in 2016 by Hatchet Book Group. This book is a personal testimony of Issas’ time on the Congressional Oversight Committee during the Obama administration. During his time on the Oversight Committee Issa was involved in investigating many high profile scandals ranging from the executive branch to private sector during a democratic presidency. The main premise of the book is to educate the public of the purpose, necessity, and actions of the Congressional Oversight Committee. Congressman Issa’s position is to press the agenda of transparency and accountability to the public, the electorate, those in which the government should serve. The author uses many examples of lack of

Partisanship should not have an adversarial relationship but there should be unity in Congress when an administration resists oversight. Nor should a contentious relationship develop between the Oversight Committee and those being looked into. Government transparency is the first step in preventing the agencies from sweeping things under the rug or exchanging favors for overlooking transgressions. Checks and balances require unity of Congress when a committee issues a subpoena. Issa experienced that; “modern political practice dictates that the president’s party in Congress plays defense, attacking oversight to blunt its effectiveness” (Issa p.18). Through the telling of several oversight investigations in his book Watchdog, Congressman Issa sheds a light on “deep, systemic problems in government. Ones in which he says can only be solved by significant, long-lasting institutional changes, including stronger protections for whistle –blowers, robust congressional investment in oversight, and real autonomy for the independent inspectors general that investigate each executive-branch agency” (Issa p.

“The press is the direct and proper conduit between the powerful and the people. At its best, it provides truths the people want to know and deserve to have” (Issa p.103). Additionally stating, “We may not like the media, especially its institutional liberal bias, but we need the media-the best we can get” (Issa p106). In his book Watchdog, Congressman Issa discusses Fast and Furious, Benghazi, IRS tax scandal, Hillary Clinton’s secret email, and bank accounts and bank bailouts. Each providing accounts of big government involvement, big cover-ups, deceit to the American people, greed, and gross lack of responsibility and accountability by all parties