{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-release-greg-walden-applauds-us-house-plan-help-reduce-federal", "VIDEO RELEASE: Greg Walden applauds U.S. House plan to help reduce federal overreach in rural Oregon", "2016-07-14", "2016", "2016-07", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Greg Walden", "W000791", "walden.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "VIDEO RELEASE: Greg Walden applauds U.S. House plan to help reduce federal overreach in rural Oregon \nClick here or on the image below to watch Walden\u2019s video statement\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u00a0\u2013 The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation to provide annual funding for the Department of the Interior, and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) highlighted how the plan will help reduce federal overreach in rural communities across the West:\n\u201cThe passage of this measure to fund the Department of the Interior is really important because we've got excellent policy changes in there. We\u2019ve voted to prevent the listing of the sage grouse, to stop funds from being spent to declare a huge new national monument in Malheur County, and to rein in the overzealous regulatory regime of the EPA,\u201d said Walden. \u201cThis plan really gives us an opportunity to do what we do best in Oregon: to work together to find solutions to our natural resource issues. I'm glad the House passed the bill with these important policy changes included, and I look forward to getting support from the Senate so we can get it down to the President.\u201d\nThe plan cuts the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)\u2019s budget by $164 million from last year, reducing regulatory programs by 21% and stopping the agency from expanding its jurisdiction over water and private property under the \u201cWaters of the United States\u201d rule.\nAdditionally, it prohibits listing of the sage grouse as an endangered species and fully funds Payment-in-Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for Oregon\u2019s rural counties. Additionally, the plan fully funds wildfire fighting at the ten year average cost and increases funding for forest management efforts that prevent fire.\nAlso included in this legislation are Walden\u2019s provisions to remove gray wolves from the federal endangered species list and to prohibit funds from being used to make a Presidential declaration of a national monument in Malheur County, which would lock up 2.5 million acres of public land. This is the latest step in Walden\u2019s continued efforts to urge the President and top members of the Administration to back off the proposal to ease tensions in the rural west.\nThe bill passed by a vote of 231-196 today, and now heads to the Senate for consideration.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-release-greg-walden-applauds-us-house-plan-help-reduce-federal"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.9589937292039394, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}