While much of Washington D.C.'s energy has lately been consumed by the debt ceiling and credit downgrade, Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Cali) of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has yet to lose focus on his own very pertinent job, as Katie Pavlich has fastidiously reported in regards to Operation Fast & Furious. Ever-vigilant, Representative Issa has subpoenaed the National Labor Relations Board over their ridiculous farce of a lawsuit against Boeing, which generated a very vociferous outcry several months ago but has since quieted down somewhat. On Sunday, Issa's office sent the subpoena to NLRB Acting General Council Lafe Solomon, after the NLRB chose to only partially comply with Issa's earlier request for certain documents. Issa justified himself in a statement:
"NLRB's action in the case against Boeing has the potential to create a job-killing precedent just as U.S. manufacturers are working toward economic recovery. That a Washington, D.C.-based bureaucracy could dictate the work location and parameters for a world-leading company is unprecedented in a global economy and hobbles a leading American job creator at a time of economic vulnerability," Issa said.
Chairman Issa added, "President Obama and both Democratic and Republican Members of Congress have questioned the wisdom behind NLRB's actions against Boeing. As this matter could take years to resolve and create even more crippling uncertainty for job creators, it is imperative that Congress get complete facts about NLRB's rationale and its decision making process in this matter without further delay."
Last week, the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee acknowledged that Rep. Issa had the power to issue subpoenas, but insisted that he should hold a vote before implementing one (in this case, at least. Hmmm.). The Hill reported:
"There is no dispute that you have authority under the House Rules to issue a unilateral subpoena to further legitimate oversight efforts by the Committee,” the Democrats wrote in their letter. “But you also have an obligation to use this power responsibly and not to exercise it to affect the outcome of an ongoing legal proceeding.”
Issa has said that the NLRB's case against Boeing appears to be politically motivated, but Democrats said in their letter that it was Issa who was taking sides in the matter.
“One serious concern with compelling the production of these documents at this time is that you appear to be using the authority of the Committee in an inappropriate manner to assist a private party, Boeing, during ongoing litigation,” the letter said.
Lafe Solomon had this to say on Issa's subpoena:
"I am disappointed and surprised by this development," Solomon said Monday. "For months, my staff and I have diligently tried to satisfy the committee's desire for information while also preserving the integrity of our process and the rights of the parties in a case being actively litigated."
Too bad, so sad. Not. This case is so particularly egregious, I can hardly believe that Solomon's 'disappointment' has as much to do with the 'integrity of our process' and the 'right of the parties' as it does preserving enormous unions' insatiable power to force employers to work for them, instead of vice versa. Good for Issa for keeping up the momentum and staying fierce.
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