Latest news with #DarrellIssa
Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Stefanik, Issa Reintroduce Bill to Ban Handgun Roster Restrictions in States
The restrictions make it challenging for firearm manufacturers to introduce new models, the lawmakers said. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) have reintroduced the 'Modern Firearm Safety Act,' which aims to prevent states such as California and New York from restricting gun access to citizens, Stefanik's office said in a July 24 statement If passed, states and agencies would be banned from imposing regulations that require a handgun to incorporate a design feature, functionality, safety mechanism, or performance standard not mandated by federal statute, the bill states When state or local governments impose requirements that a handgun model incorporate features not present on the model, it can artificially inflate prices, according to the bill. Story continues below advertisement Such measures 'present safety concerns by altering the intended design and function of the affected models; violate the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and pose an unacceptable restraint on interstate commerce,' the bill states. According to the July 24 statement, the bill will prohibit states from 'enacting unconstitutional 'handgun rosters' that prevent law-abiding citizens from accessing modern, safer handgun models and require firearm manufacturers to adopt costly and unnecessary features, making it nearly impossible to sell new handguns.' A handgun roster refers to a list of handguns that have been approved for sale within a specific jurisdiction based on meeting safety and restrictive requirements. For instance, a handgun roster in California requires that a gun model in the state must pass certain tests and be certified for sale by the state's Department of Justice before it can be sold. At present, New York, Maryland, California, and the District of Columbia have enacted 'restrictive handgun rosters,' with other states considering similar measures, according to the statement. Story continues below advertisement Due to these stringent standards, firearms sold to people include 'costly and unnecessary features' such as magazine disconnect mechanisms, loaded chamber indicators, and microstamping technology, and these requirements are making it nearly impossible for gun manufacturers to introduce new handgun models to the market, according to the statement. Microstamping technology causes a firearm's firing pin to imprint microscopic characters onto ammunition cartridge cases when a gun is fired, according to a July 18 statement from the California Attorney General's office. These characters represent the weapon's make, model , and serial number. As such, when law enforcement finds cartridge cases at crime scenes, they can check the imprinted code and identify the firearm. The Modern Firearm Safety Act would prohibit states from mandating loaded chamber indicators, magazine disconnect mechanisms, and microstamping for handguns, a move that will restore the Second Amendment in states with such restrictive gun regulations, according to the lawmakers. Story continues below advertisement A visitor picks up a revolver at the Charter Arms booth at the 2025 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits held in the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga., on April 25, 2025.'For decades, the clear Constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners have been targeted for elimination, and handgun rosters are only one of the cynical schemes used to undermine the Second Amendment through the pretense of firearm safety,' Issa, who first introduced the bill last year, said. 'These rosters impose excessive and unnecessary requirements that actually restrict access to firearms equipped with the most up-to-date safety features, and that's why I'm proud to partner with my friend Rep. Stefanik to defend sacred rights and end these unjust restrictions.' Protecting Gun Rights The Modern Firearm Safety Act also coincides with a ruling from a federal district court, which judged California's handgun roster requirements to be unconstitutional, according to the July 24 statement. In March 2023, District Judge Cormac Carney issued a ruling in favor of the California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) and four individuals who had challenged the constitutionality of California's Unsafe Handgun Act. Story continues below advertisement Enacted in 1990, the legislation required new handguns to have three specific features: loaded chamber indicators to show whether the gun is loaded, magazine disconnect mechanisms to prevent the gun from being fired if the magazine is not fully inserted, and microstamping capability. The reintroduction of the Modern Firearm Safety Act comes amid the Trump administration's efforts to protect Second Amendment rights in the country. On Feb. 7, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for a review of orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other government actions related to the Second Amendment between January 2021 and January 2025, the period of the Biden administration. In late March, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an interim final rule taking over from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives the responsibility of deciding whether to restore gun ownership rights to individuals whose Second Amendment rights were revoked by a court. The DOJ recently proposed a rule to restore Second Amendment rights to individuals convicted of certain crimes who are not likely to act in a way that poses a danger to public safety. 'For too long, countless Americans with criminal histories have been permanently disenfranchised from exercising the right to keep and bear arms—a right every bit as constitutionally enshrined as the right to vote, the right to free speech, and the right to free exercise of religion—irrespective of whether they actually pose a threat,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a July 18 statement.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Top GOP lawmaker demands 'soul-searching' from Dems amid anti-ICE riots targeting law enforcement
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., introduced a resolution to condemn violence against federal immigration authorities as ICE agents have seen an increase in assaults. The resolution states that ICE and Border Patrol are "facing violent mobs of both citizens and illegal aliens who have not only repeatedly blocked, menaced, and confronted law enforcement, but also attempted to burn and kill our ICE and CBP agents as they carried out their proper and legal duties." It noted several recent incidents, including an anti-ICE attack on Independence Day at the Prarieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, as well as a Border Patrol annex facility shooting in McAllen, Texas. "This resolution represents congressional clarity through a simple question: Do we categorically condemn deadly attacks on federal immigration law enforcement? Or not? I know my Republican colleagues back our agents – it's the Democrats who need some soul-searching about what they've said to encourage and excuse violence in the months they have spent enabling criminal illegals," Issa said on the resolution co-led with fellow California Republican Rep. Ken Calvert. Assaults on ICE agents have gone up 830% since last year, according to DHS, and there's been sharp discourse on whether agents should be allowed to mask when conducting operations, as proponents are concerned about doxing of agents and their families. Issa told Fox News Digital in an interview that the anti-ICE movement seen in many blue areas, including sanctuary cities, is similar to the anti-police movement seen a few years ago. "The larger ICE movement that we're seeing now is really an organized attempt by the left once again to go after law enforcement, to go after the people that are making us safe. You know, what I've seen from this anti-ICE movement is an attempt to keep the streets dangerous with MS-13, with [Tren de Aragua]," Issa said. "As we're looking at the impact of sanctuary cities, sanctuary states, I have both in my district, what we're really looking toward really is, first of all, pushing hard to make sure the federal courts enforce the law," the Republican, who represents parts of the San Diego area, added. "And that particularly is coming into play when President Trump tries to faithfully execute the laws, and he's being pushed back by rogue judges." The congressman noted how Democrats have proposed legislation to prevent agents from wearing masks and requiring them to show identification while conducting sweeps throughout the country, which many proponents of the enforcement activity have said poses a safety risk. However, others have said it's a necessary move for government transparency. "I've heard from immigrant communities and people across Washington state about the pervasive sense of fear and alarm created when masked agents descend on a community without any visible identification, and residents have no way of knowing whether they are interacting with legitimate law enforcement," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, said regarding the recently introduced VISIBLE Act. "Anyone being detained by law enforcement in America deserves to know who is detaining them and why." The Trump administration continues to pursue its goal of mass deportations while highlighting arrests of those with additional criminal charges and convictions. "It's really sad that the Democrats in the Senate would essentially try to undo what we've been doing for federal judges, for FISA judges, and so on, which is to protect their identity, their home locations, so that they can remain safe," Issa said. "Law enforcement is certainly accountable and nobody objects to there being some way to differentiate law enforcement officer one from two. But to ask that they be able to be identified is like asking 'Where do they live and what are their family members' names, and what schools do they go to?' The fact is, there's no real purpose in that," he continued. "And I know that my Democrat colleagues know that."
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
GOP lawmaker slams sanctuary policies for cultivating anti-ICE movement
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said the anti-ICE push is an "organized attempt by the left once again to go after law enforcement" as protests and riots occur throughout the country.
Fox News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
LA mayor ripped for interfering with ICE raid at crime-ridden local park: 'Full of s---'
Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass sparked controversy on social media this week after she attempted to interfere with ICE agents conducting immigration raids, calling it "outrageous" and "un-American." Bass, who has been a vocal opponent of immigration raids in the city, appeared at the scene and demanded to speak with ICE leadership when agents were conducting an operation near MacArthur Park on Monday. "They need to leave, and they need to leave right now. They need to leave because this is unacceptable!" Bass said at the scene. Bass claimed on social media that there were children playing at the park, which is well known in the area as a hotbed for homelessness and crime even during daylight hours. "Minutes before, there were more than 20 kids playing — then, the MILITARY comes through," Bass posted on X. "The SECOND I heard about this, I went to the park to speak to the person in charge to tell them it needed to end NOW. Absolutely outrageous." Bass's actions sparked immediate pushback from critics on social media. "If only Karen Bass worked as hard for fire victims in Los Angeles as she does criminal illegals," GOP Congressman Darrell Issa, who represents California's 48th Congressional District, posted on X. "Democrats aren't used to seeing the law being enforced," Jeremy Redfern, communications director for Florida Republican AG James Uthmeier, posted on X. "But luckily, Karen was able to speak to the manager." "The federal government would not have to deploy against foreign invaders if you would just stop harboring them," GOP Rep. Mike Collins posted on X. "If you did your job, those guys wouldn't need to do theirs," Substack writer Jim Treacher posted on X. "MacArthur Park is a vile, filthy, drug infested, gang sh--hole worthy of Karen Bass," actor James Woods posted on X. "This commie loser would be happier in Cuba." "Yeah… you're full of sh--," Independent journalist Tayler Hansen posted on X. "MacArthur park is the fentanyl hub of LA and is a safe haven for violent cartels and gangs. You should take a stroll there without security and maybe even down one of the nearby alleys… I'm sure you'd be fine!" "Party of publicity stunts," conservative commentator Stephen L. Miller posted on X. "Her city has managed to issue like 10 rebuilding permits for the victims of the Palisades fire, but she's focused like a laser beam on protecting MS-13 members," Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. "Checks out." In addition to the social media fallout, Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino told Fox News that he was the official Bass spoke to on the phone at the scene when she demanded the raid be stopped. "I don't work for Karen Bass," Bovino said. "Better get used to us now, because this is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles." Fox News Digital reached out to Bass's office for comment.
Fox News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
House Republicans call for investigation into Obama-appointed judge in Trump funding case
FIRST ON FOX: A pair of Republican oversight hawks escalated a complaint on Tuesday about a district court judge who is presiding over one of the Trump administration's cases, alleging the judge has a financial conflict of interest. Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman and member of the House Judiciary Committee, respectively, asked the judicial council for the First Circuit Court of Appeals to investigate Judge John McConnell, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. McConnell, an Obama appointee, has been presiding over a pivotal funding freeze case in Rhode Island brought by 22 states with Democratic attorneys general. The case centers on the Office of Management and Budget's order in January that federal agencies implement a multibillion-dollar suspension of federal benefits. The states' lawsuit argued the funding freeze was illegal because Congress had already approved the funds for use. McConnell agreed with the states and blocked the administration from suspending the funds, and the case is now sitting before the First Circuit Court of Appeals. McConnell wrote in an order in March that the Trump administration's funding suspension "fundamentally undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government." The judge said the freeze lacked "rationality" and showed no "thoughtful consideration of practical consequences" because it threatened states' "ability to provide vital services, including but not limited to public safety, health care, education, childcare, and transportation infrastructure." Issa and Jordan said McConnell's long-standing leadership roles with Crossroads Rhode Island, a nonprofit that has received millions of dollars in federal and state grants, raised the possibility of a judicial ethics violation. "Given Crossroads's reliance on federal funds, Judge McConnell's rulings had the effect of restoring funding to Crossroads, directly benefitting the organization and creating a conflict of interest," Jordan and Issa wrote. Their letter was directed to Judge David Barron, chief judge of the First Circuit and chair of the First Circuit Judicial Council. McConnell was quick to become one of Trump's judicial nemeses when he became involved with the funding freeze case. His initial order blocking the freeze and subsequent orders to enforce his injunction and unfreeze FEMA funds fueled criticism from Trump's allies. The Trump-aligned group America First Legal has been highlighting McConnell's ties to Crossroads Rhode Island for months through its own investigation and complaint to the First Circuit. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., filed articles of impeachment against the judge in March, though impeachment as a solution for judges with whom Republicans take issue has not garnered widespread support among the broader Republican conference. Vocal Trump supporter Laura Loomer targeted the judge's daughter on social media, and X CEO Elon Musk elevated her grievance on his platform. One of McConnell's local newspapers, the Providence Journal, described the judge as a man "well-known" in Democratic political circles and a major donor to Democratic politicians and organizations before he was confirmed to the bench in 2011. McConnell included Crossroads Rhode Island and his membership as a board member in his recent public annual financial disclosure reports. No parties in the case have actively sought his recusal at this stage. An aide for the judge did not respond to a request for comment.
