By Courtney Coren
Human Events has named Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California "Conservative of the Year" for 2013 for holding the Obama Administration accountable for abuse of power in his work as the Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
"The rule of law is a matter of much concern lately, thanks to President Obama's extraordinary use, and often flagrant abuse, of executive power," the editors of Human events wrote. "For the past five years, no one has worked more diligently to hold this Administration accountable than Rep. Darrell Issa."
The California Republican has lead investigations into Operation Fast and Furious, the Benghazi attacks on Sept. 11, 2012, and the targeting of conservative groups by the IRS as well as the disastrous rollout of Obamacare, in recent months.
House Oversight's investigation into the Administration's involvement in the Fast and Furious gun "running" operation resulted in President Barack Obama invoking executive privilege, which resulted in the House voting to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt.
Issa lead the investigation into the Benghazi attacks, in which four Americans, including the Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed. "Benghazi remains the debacle absolutely no one was responsible for, with the very fleeting exception of four mid-level bureaucrats who were briefly placed on administrative leave by incoming Secretary of State John Kerry," the conservative magazine explains.
The California lawmaker's investigation into the scandal in which the IRS was targeting conservative groups applying for non-profit status, revealed "a scandal that involved officials at the highest levels of the Internal Revenue Service."
As the leader of these investigations, Human Events explains, Issa has had "to remind House Democrats and the White House that his function is a duty of Congress, not a sideshow in Washington's never-ending spin wars."
"The public would not know much about these scandals, or the disastrous rollout of Obamacare, without Issa's efforts," they write. "The reason we know that only six people signed up on Obamacare's first day is that House Oversight came into possession of internal Administration notes."
Human Events notes that he has also been a leader in reforming the postal service as well as committed to intellectual property rights and internet security.
"For his tireless insistence on the free flow of information from government to its citizens, his confidence that free people can make wise decisions when provided with good data, and his determination to restrain the size of government, Human Events names Rep. Darrell Issa Conservative of the Year for 2013," they conclude.
Issa has issued a statement saying that he is "deeply honored" by the award.
"I view this award as recognizing the importance of oversight, a fundamental responsibility of Congress that has been a greater point emphasis over the last year than any other point in my 13 years of public service," Issa said.
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/issa-named-conservative-year/2014/01/03/id/545015#ixzz2pOPXxtk2 Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
