Five Reasons Darrell Issa Should be Speaker
By Gary Shapiro
The unexpected resignation by House Speaker John Boehner and the surprise withdrawal yesterday of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in the race to succeed him leaves a gaping hole and creates political uncertainty, which could last for some time.
Each day of uncertainty hurts Republicans, as it will lead Americans to question Republicans’ ability to manage the House of Representatives, much less the White House. Thus a quick resolution of who will be the next speaker is in the best interest of the party.
I have spoken with several House members in the past 24 hours, and most appear uncertain about the best course of action, as they move into uncharted territory. Few will accept a Tea Party speaker, as that would likely cede the White House in 2016 to the Democrats. And so, any speaker with a chance at winning must be acceptable to the House Tea Party voting bloc of 40 representatives or acceptable to a couple dozen Democrats.
The likelihood of Democrats voting for a Republican speaker without getting something in return is low. To vote for a Republican speaker, Democrats will demand committee chairmanships, additional staff or other power-sharing concessions. Their demands will be so hefty that even the 40 Tea Party members, the House Freedom Caucus, will soon seek a candidate they can live with.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) can be the candidate that both Tea Party partisans and more moderate Republicans can support. Yesterday, one influential Republican member of Congress told me he is supporting Issa. Here are five good reasons all Republican House members should join him:
1. Issa has a history of reaching across the aisle. Americans from both parties want a Congress that can work together to make the nation better for our children. As chairman, Issa had disagreements with his Democrat counterpart, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), when they led the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, but they managed to team up on procurement-reform proposals and became personal friends.
I had the honor of hosting Issa’s portrait unveiling ceremony, and the kind comments and genuine warmth from Cummings was evident.
Issa also teamed up with Democrats to get patent-reform legislation out of committee, and since he arrived in Congress in 2001, he has shepherded 10 bills into law.
2. Issa is principled — even in the face of overwhelming opposition. After the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed legislation hurting Internet entrepreneurs, Issa defied the sense of inevitability and held a press conference with liberal Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to announce their opposition to the half-baked but legislatively popular proposal. Everyone thought this odd couple had no chance. But within weeks, Congress heard from millions of Americans, and in a matter of hours more than 30 members of Congress removed their names from the legislation. The impossible had occurred, and the legislation died, because two members stood up and pointed out the dangers the legislation posed.
3. Issa is a young leader who “gets” tech and can move frogs in a wheelbarrow. Issa created and sold a successful tech company, owns several patents and served as chairman of the largest association of technology companies. As a onetime volunteer chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association (of which I am CEO), Issa helped get intense competitors aligned on a public-policy platform focusing on innovation and competition.
Although a Lebanese Christian, he’s familiar with many Yiddish words, and is being honored next month by the Anti-Defamation League, perhaps the first non-Jewish member of Congress to be so recognized.
4. Issa is unbuyable. As the wealthiest member of the House, Issa cannot be bought. Moreover, since he started with nothing and built his own company, he can still understand the challenges faced by working Americans. He has served in the military, created jobs, met a payroll and is answerable to voters. And he has won repeatedly with minimal re-election costs. His constituents understand and appreciate what he has done for the nation and his district.
5. Issa thinks big and works tirelessly to get results that all can accept. A decade ago as he ended his first term, I asked him what disappointed him. He said after making some 20 to 30 trips to the Middle East and meeting with all the region’s leaders, he was unable to find an acceptable solution to the conflict there.
That’s the last time I recall he couldn’t help solve a vexing problem. He approaches every problem as having a creative solution, and he works hard until he finds it. He needs little sleep and keeps probing areas of compromise until he can ensure each party is satisfied.
An effective speaker must not simply be a caretaker for a divided Congress. He or she must continually probe and push for areas of agreement to move the nation forward.
I’m passionate about Issa’s capabilities to start solving real national problems. I have known Issa for some 30 years. I’ve seen him vilified for teenage kerfuffles. I’ve seen him make mistakes in office and learn from them, develop emotional intelligence and genuinely understand that each member of Congress is patriotic but passionate about representing their constituencies.
I want Issa to become speaker, because he will be true to his conservative principles, but will also work with both Democrats and Republicans to get Congress solving meaningful problems.
Apparently, the Californian has heard the call. “I am considering whether or not to put my name in the hat,” Issa said in an interview on CNBC today. “Starting this morning, we’re looking for a consensus candidate.”
Today, our leaders divide us. I believe Issa will push us in the same direction and be willing to work with President Obama, Democrats and all Republicans to solve problems relating to infrastructure, spending, taxation and immigration.
The Republican strategy cannot be to wait for the next president to move forward. Putting a do-something speaker in place is important, and Darrell Issa will do things to improve the nation.
Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies, and author of the New York Times best-selling books, Ninja Innovation: The Ten Killer Strategies of the World’s Most Successful Businesses and The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream. His views are his own. Connect with him on Twitter: @GaryShapiro
