Democrats slam Chairman Issa for upcoming ‘partisan’ trip to Libya

Democrats on the House oversight panel slammed chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) for planning to visit Libya without informing Democrats.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking member on the panel, called on Issa to postpone next week’s trip, saying it violates Issa’s own rules that congressional delegations must be bipartisan. Issa has been leading the investigation into the Benghazi terror attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans last year.

{mosads}“I am writing to request that you immediately postpone your upcoming delegation to Libya and several other countries until you come into compliance with your own Committee directives, stop your partisan efforts to deliberately exclude Democrats from this trip, and provide adequate notice to allow Democratic Members to join this delegation at a later date,” Cummings wrote.

Cummings said he obtained a copy of Issa’s itinerary on Friday.

“The only congressional travelers on this itinerary are you and your Republican staffer,” Cummings wrote. “No Democratic Members are listed on the itinerary, and you have not contacted me or my staff about this trip. According to this itinerary, you are planning to leave this Sunday, which means Democratic participation at this late date is impossible.”

Issa’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

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