The End of the Issa Era

The rest of the world may know Rep Darrell Issa (R-CA) best as a vocal and spirited antagonist of Hillary Clinton over the Benghazi situation, but, for some, Issa’s long tenure in Congress evokes some different memories. For one thing, it was Rep Issa who, back in the winter of 2011, first issued the call to stop the Stop Online Piracy Act, on the grounds that it would break the internet’s basic functioning; fans of the internet came running, and stop SOPA they did. For another, Issa’s also been a key congressional proponent for modernizing the US patent system. And as both a congressman and the former chairman of the Consumer Technology Association, Rep Issa was perhaps the go-to voice in Washington on the idea of that America works best when its technology industry is encouraged to flourish. He said, “while my service to California's 49th District will be coming to an end, I will continue advocating on behalf of the causes that are most important to me.” Time will tell if one of those causes continues to be tech.