Issa Rebuffs Cummings as 'Extreme, Reckless' for IRS Remarks

Rep. Darrell Issa said Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings made a statement that was "extreme and reckless" when he said the IRS’ targeting of tea-party groups is a closed case.

Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued a press release after Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the committee, appeared on CNN's "Face the Nation."

“I strongly disagree with ranking member Cummings’ assertion that we know everything we need to know about inappropriate targeting of tea-party groups by the IRS and the case is, in his word, ‘solved,’” Issa, a California Republican, said in a statement issued by his communications office.

Latest: Is Benghazi a Cover Up? Is Obama at the Heart of It? Vote Here

“His extreme and reckless assertions are a signal that his true motivation is stopping needed congressional oversight, and he has no genuine interest in working on a bipartisan basis to expose the full truth,” the statement said.

Cummings, of Maryland, said on CNN that he wants Issa to release “every syllable” of the House committee's transcripts of the interviews with IRS officials involved in the targeting.

“If he does not release them, I will, period,” Cummings said. “I think this interview and these statements go a long way toward showing that the White House was not involved in this. Based upon everything I’ve seen, the case is closed, and if it were me, I would wrap this case up and move on.”

Issa blasted back: "The American public wants to know why targeting occurred and who was involved. The testimony excerpts ranking member Cummings revealed today did not provide anything enlightening or contradict other witness accounts. "