Birth Control

Dems Accuse GOP Of Denying Fair Hearing On Birth Control Rule

Pema Levy | February 16, 2012, 7:00AM

Calek/ Shutterstock

Democrats are accusing Republicans of denying a witness who holds contrary views an opportunity to testify at a hearing on President Obama's birth control regulation -- a charge the GOP disputes.

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Darrell Issa

Issa: Obama Injecting 'Chicago Hardball Politics' With Draft Executive Order

Igor Bobic | May 13, 2011, 11:28AM

Darrell Issa (R-CA)

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) claims a recent draft proposal by President Obama to require federal contractors to disclose donations to third-party political groups is an attempt to politicize the procurement process and one that will intimidate businesses away from federal contracts.

"We're now talking about Chicago hardball politics that will clearly lead to a chilling effect on contributions by those required to participate," said Issa at a committee hearing Thursday. "I think it's very clear, this executive order is outside the procurement process."

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Scott Walker

On Capitol Hill, Walker Defends Fight With Unions: "We Are Doing Something Truly Progressive"

Benjy Sarlin | April 14, 2011, 2:00PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Testifying before the House Oversight Committee, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) defended his administration's combative approach to unions amid aggressive questioning from House Democrats and his fellow witness, Vermont Governor Pete Shumlin (D).

"In Wisconsin, we are doing something truly progressive," Walker said in his opening remarks. "In addition to holding the line on spending and finding efficiencies in state government, we are implementing long term budget reforms focused on protecting middle class jobs and middle class taxpayers."

Ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and others repeatedly pressed Walker to explain why he targeted collective bargaining rights when unions had already agreed to budget cuts to help close a deficit.

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Scott Walker

Rep. Cummings, Vermont Governor Shumlin Rip Into Scott Walker At Hearing

Benjy Sarlin | April 14, 2011, 10:28AM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), on Capitol Hill for a hearing held by the House Oversight Committee on state budgets, had yet to even speak before Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) ripped into the Republican leader's anti-union record.

"I strongly oppose efforts to falsely blame middle-class American workers for these current economic problems," Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said in his opening statement. "This recession was not caused by them. Working America - fire fighters, teachers and nurses - are not responsible for the reckless actions of Wall Street, which led to this crisis in the first place."

Cummings said he also "strongly object[s] to efforts by politicians who try to use the current economic downturn to strip American workers of their rights - the right to negotiate working conditions that are safe, the right to negotiate due process protections against being fired arbitrarily, and the right to negotiate fair pay for an honest day's work."

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Elijah Cummings

Cummings Backs Obama With Mortgage Fraud Investigation

Susan Crabtree | February 25, 2011, 4:59PM

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is backing President Obama's hard line on mortgage abuses with his own wide-ranging investigation into foreclosure fraud.

Obama has been trying to broker a deal that would have the nation's largest mortgage lenders agree to cough up as much as $30 billion in fines to settle state and federal claims they abused borrowers and illegally foreclosed on homes, according to media reports citing state and federal officials engaged in the discussions.

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Darrell Issa

Issa Defends Subpoenas, Provides Timeline of Negotiations with DHS

Susan Crabtree | February 24, 2011, 5:39PM

Darrell Issa (R-CA)

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is jabbing back at criticism from Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, that the first three subpoenas Issa sent out this Congress were "rushed" and "unilateral" and show a scatter-shot approach to investigating aimed at making headlines rather than improving government.

Cummings sent Issa a letter Wednesday accusing him of misusing the committee and failing to adequately consult Democrats before sending out three subpoenas in the last week, one to Bank of America looking for documents related to Countrywide's infamous VIP mortgage program, and two to Department of Homeland Security officials seeking depositions for the committee's investigation into whether DHS politicized FOIA requests.

Issa spokesman Kurt Bardella sent a lengthy response to Cummings' complaints and a detailed timeline, beginning with this quote: "Another day, another complaint and more righteous indignation. What else is new?"

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Elijah Cummings

Cummings Hits Issa For 'Rushed, Unilateral' Subpoenas

Susan Crabtree | February 24, 2011, 2:39PM

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)

When Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) took over as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee early last month, Democrats braced for an onslaught of investigations of the Obama administration and rash of subpoenas.

So far, the subpoenas have been very few in number -- just three to date and all sent last week. But Democrats already aren't liking what they're seeing and don't want to let them go without a fight.

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Oversight Committee

Cummings Presses Conservative Interest Groups For Correspondence With Issa

Brian Beutler | February 1, 2011, 8:24AM

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)

House Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa has surveyed scores of industry and conservative players to figure out how to target investigations of President Obama's regulatory regime. But only a fraction of the responses he's received have been made public, and he won't share the rest with ranking member Elijah Cummings.

So Cummings is going straight to the sources.

In letters sent Monday to the same powerbrokers Issa solicited, Cummings asks for copies of their responses.

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Oversight Committee

Pelosi Power Play Doomed Towns On Oversight Committee

Brian Beutler | December 16, 2010, 5:09PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) surprised everybody Tuesday afternoon when he announced that he'd dropped out of the race to be ranking member on the House Oversight Committee next year.

The move did not reflect his personal preferences though. On Tuesday, according to two sources close to Towns, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Towns and told him, essentially, that she could not support his candidacy.

Towns had all but locked down the position last month. But that was over the wishes of congressional leadership and the White House, both of whom want the ranking member to be a bulldog, who can stand toe to toe with incoming chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).

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Oversight Committee

Towns Will Back Maloney Over Cummings In Oversight Committee Fight

Brian Beutler | December 15, 2010, 1:30AM

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)

After unexpectedly dropping out of contention to be the Ranking Member on the House Oversight Committee next year, Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) has thrown his support to fellow New Yorker, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) -- the next-most senior Democrat on the committee -- who will fight it out for the panel's top spot with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD).

"I support Carolyn Maloney to become Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee," Towns says in a statement sent my way. "She is next in line on the Committee, she has the seniority and competence to serve the Caucus well."

Initial reports this evening suggested that Towns also supported Cummings. But both Cummings and Maloney say that's not the case.

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Elijah Cummings

Switcharoo: Towns Out Of Oversight Spot, Kucinich Backs Cummings

Ryan J. Reilly | December 14, 2010, 7:14PM

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)

Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY) made the surprise announcement on Tuesday night that he'll be stepping down as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, setting up a fight between Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) for the right to square off with incoming Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA).

"After much thought, Chairman Towns today made the decision not to seek the Ranking Member position on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee," a spokesman said in a statement.

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Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | December 10, 2010, 5:29PM

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Israeli Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, former DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA).

• Fox News Sunday: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

• NBC, Meet The Press: New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I).