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What's Driving Rep. Issa's Opposition to Tackling the National Park System's Backlog?

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Rep. Issa: What is his objection to whittling away at the National Park System's infrastructure needs?

Two years ago, U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa seemed to think it was no big deal that $12 billion for the Iraq reconstruction effort vanished. So why is he so opposed to spending $2.25 billion to make inroads on the National Park System's roughly $9 billion maintenance backlog?

The Republican from California made a media splash last week when he questioned the propriety of the House Appropriations chairman, Rep. David Obey, tacking that $2.25 billion for the parks onto the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (The House later reduced the figure by about $200 million by withdrawing funding for restoration of the National Mall) Congressman Issa's concern was that Rep. Obey's son is Craig Obey, the senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association.

Now, Rep. Issa in his conversations with the Washington Times and Lou Dobbs of CNN never specified whether he had any problem with spending money to address the National Park System's staggering backlog, roughly half of which revolves around road work. He did not single out for criticism any of the projects highlighted by the NPCA in calling for the parks -- and the construction industry -- to benefit from efforts to spur the nation's economy.

Calls to Rep. Issa's spokesman for clarification on that point have not been returned.

Now, curiously, Rep. Issa had no problem two years ago when it was discovered that the Bush administration somehow had failed to keep track of $12 BILLION in funding for the Iraq reconstruction effort. Here's some background from a Denver Post story:

"The United States sent $12 billion in shrink-wrapped $100 bills from New York to Baghdad in 2004 and distributed the cash with no control over who received the money or how it was distributed," the Post reported. The money was supposed to be used to pay Iraqi government employees and private contractors.

When that story surfaced, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, of which Rep. Issa currently is the ranking member, held a hearing on the missing $12 billion. The Republican was outraged that the hearing was called, saying it was little more than a "show" and that the Democrats simply wanted to embarrass President Bush.

Now, if you have five minutes or so, watch the following video from The Daily Show's archives, which carries snippets from that committee hearing, including one in which Rep. Issa seems to imply that $12 billion is chump change.

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Perhaps Mr. Issa's opposition to tackling the National Park System's backlog stems from the fact that there are no national park units in his district, California's 49th. According to the Center for Corporate Responsibility, back in 2004 the congressman worked hard to see one of his constituents, Qualcomm, which makes cellular technology, make inroads in Iraq.

Iraq's cellular market is potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues for the company, and potentially much more should it establish a standard for the region. (Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Technology Security John) Shaw's efforts to override contracting officials delayed an emergency radio contract, depriving Iraqi police officers, firefighters, ambulance drivers and border guards of a joint communications system for months.

Shaw says he was urged to push Qualcomm's technology by Rep. Darrell E. Issa, a Republican whose San Diego County District includes Qualcomm's headquarters. Issa, who received $5,000 in campaign contributions from Qualcomm employees from 2003 to 2004, sits on the House Small Business Committee, and previously tried to help the company sponsoring a bill that would have required the military to use its CDMA technology.

"Hundreds of thousands of American jobs depend on the success of U.S.-developed wireless technologies like CDMA," Issa claimed in a letter to Donald Rumsfeld. But the Pentagon doesn't seem to be buying the argument. The DoD's inspector general has asked the FBI to investigate Shaw's activities.

Granted, $2 billion (the Senate has proposed $800 million for the parks, a middle ground is expected to surface this weekend) is a lot of money for the National Park Service to spend in the short time period that Congress wants the stimulus funds spent. In fact, the Park Service probably can't accomplish the deed when you take into consideration the environmental studies that some projects might require and the contracting delays.

But whichever, if any, dollar figure surfaces for the parks in the stimulus bill, shouldn't it be questioned on the merits of the projects involved, not surnames?

Comments

Daily Show clips? You're parodying yourself, Kurt.


Great points, Kurt.


There needs to be a rule prohibiting any organization that lobbies Congress from hiring a close relative of the Congressman or Senator. Does anyone really think that these kids and wives of our elected officials got those lobbying jobs on merit alone?


"Merit"? wow thats so over rated :(


I have known Craig Obey for years. He does outstanding work for NPCA. Both he and his father are professionals and I doubt their relatiionship affects the work they do either as a US Representative or as an employee of NPCA. It seems strange that Issa never thought this relationship was suspect previously. Repressentative Obey has been on the appropriations comnittee for years and Craig has worked at NPCA for a long time. Maybe now that House Republicans have decided to oppose the stimulus package, they are looking for places to hang their objections. This seems like a pretty flimsy place to me.

Rick Smith


While I agree with Frank C. that the national park system is "Broke", it seems to me it's only broke in a financial way due to the lack of funding from the politicians. The public doesn't really seem to have a problem with funding it. It's only politicans who hold up putting the money where it's supposed to go. The only reason the park system is broke is because a long line of obstructionist- politicians want to make themselves look tough on alleged "BIG GOVERNMENT" while they secure funding for their own legeslative boondoggles!


Frank C,
There are rumblings in congress as we speak to sell off some of our parks to bring down the debt, especially the rising cost of illegal immigration.


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