With GOP win, Issa previews his oversight plans

By Ed O'Keefe

Updated 1:54 p.m. ET

House Republicans made historic gains Tuesday, ensuring Rep. Darrell Issa's role as one of the Obama administration's top antagonists.

The California Republican is set to lead the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, a panel with wide jurisdiction over government operations, federal workers, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Postal Service. The committee has been known to wield its subpoena power, often setting up a separation of powers showdown between legislators and the White House. Issa and other Republicans signaled during the campaign that they will not shy from using subpoenas as necessary against the Obama administration.

On Wednesday Issa also signaled he may reach back to George W. Bush's administration and how it handled the beginnings of the mortgage crisis and management of the now-defunct Minerals Management Service.

(Official Washington is bracing for several new lines of inquiry by Issa and Congressional Republicans, so much so that colleague Al Kamen is holding a contest to see which Obama administration official earns Issa's first subpoena.)

But Issa signaled late Tuesday that he will first focus on giving subpoena power to the government's 74 inspectors general, nonpartisan officials responsible for rooting out allegations of government waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. He also plans to keep close tabs on unconfirmed White House advisers, or "czars," who have enjoyed unchecked power and influence during the first two years of the Obama administration, he said.

Giving subpoena power to the government's 74 inspectors general would immediately foster greater cooperation with their investigations, Issa said.

"If you go through the process of being appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate you should be able to do your job," he said. Currently the Defense Department's inspector general is the only federal watchdog with subpoena power. Most inspectors general are appointed by the president, but several are directly hired by agency bosses.

It was not immediately clear if inspectors general want or need subpoena power. Critics have argued that giving inspectors general subpoena power may prompt future presidents to nominate more politically-minded appointees less likely to drudge up potentially embarrassing instances of mismanagement.

"These are the eyes and ears of the president," Issa said. "I don't expect to have great push back, I expect to have the president's support on this."

The proposal is a decidedly nonpartisan one, designed by aides to demonstrate Issa's nonpartisan, institutional leadership and his ability to rise above the political fray. Make no mistake: Issa will spend the coming weeks working to cast himself as a mature, more senior lawmaker, eager to root out government mismanagement for the sake of the country, not the Republican Party.

But the strategy could be a tough sell after years of appearing frequently on cable news talk shows and a steady stream of press releases loaded with partisan rhetoric and blunt demands of the White House. Democrats used Issa's name, face and stated plans against Republican House candidates -- a failed strategy, yes, but that might work in future elections as his profile rises.

As for White House "czars," Issa said the committee will "hold them to the standards that we expect," acknowledging that the use of czars is nothing new.

"Every president has done some of it, this president has been allowed to do too much of it," he said.

The Oversight committee also will turn its attention to the cash-strapped Postal Service, with Issa vowing to find a way to make it profitable again while keeping first-class stamp prices below 50 cents.

"There are too many postal workers, too many distribution centers, too many post offices and a reluctance to make those changes," he said, casting some of the blame on lawmakers who have worked to save hometown post offices from possible closure.

House and Senate Democrats have introduced bills that would grant the Postal Service more flexibility to close post offices, set delivery schedules, raise prices above the rate of inflation and adjust its retiree pension obligations. Issa does not support any of those proposals, but signaled Tuesday he's looking for something substantive to support.

"Everybody who mails a stamp realizes that we could end up with a huge government bailout if we don't fix it. That's billions of dollars we need to pay attention to," he said.

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