CREW preempts Issa by posting responses to his letter

In a shot at House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a watchdog group Monday beat his panel to the punch by posting industry responses to Issa's requests for information on federal regulations that they claim impede hiring.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which has repeatedly faulted Issa for not expeditiously releasing responses to his January 10 letter sent to 150 corporations and trade groups -- as well as for making the request itself -- posted 33 responses it obtained from groups that responded to the letters.

The responses include those from major trade groups such as the American Hospital Association, which cites concerns such as medical-malpractice tort laws, as well as from the Business Roundtable, the Council of Industrial Boiler Owners, and the Brick Industry Association.

Issa last week said he would release responses to the letter along with an analysis on February 11. CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan argues that delaying their release is part of an effort to frame the responses.

"Considering how easy it has been for CREW to obtain and post many of these letters so quickly, it is hard to understand why Chairman Issa is stalling, or what he hopes to gain by refusing to make the letters public," Sloan said. "Trade groups and industry may have legitimate concerns over some regulations. But if Congress is going to consider rolling back laws intended to protect the public, Americans deserve to know who's asking for what repeal and why."

Issa spokesman Kurt Bardella declined to comment.