url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-supports-plan-protect-volunteer-firefighters-and-emergency,Greg Walden supports plan to protect volunteer firefighters and emergency responders from health law mandate,2013-12-26,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden supports plan to protect volunteer firefighters and emergency responders from health law mandate  December 26, 2013  HOOD RIVER U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced today that he has signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill to exempt volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians from the employer mandate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act (H.R. 3685) was introduced in the U.S. House on December 10 with bipartisan support. Volunteer fire firefighters and emergency responders serve their communities every day to protect lives and property and keep their neighbors safe. Their units shouldn't be forced to choose between buying life-saving equipment and complying with IRS mandates under the new health care law. I'm co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to protect these volunteer units from Obamacare's mandate so they can focus on their mission: keeping Oregonians safe, Walden said. Hood River Fire Chief Devon Wellsapplauded Walden for his support. I believe it is critically important that emergency service agencies not be required to offer health insurance to their volunteer personnel. Most of those agencies do not have the financial resources to provide that type of benefit to their volunteers. Also, most volunteers have no expectation of receiving health insurance from their fire agency, Wells said. The financial impact this could have on volunteer agencies would be devastating, potentially reducing the number of volunteers and the level of service provided to the citizens they are sworn to protect. The bill that has been introduced to exempt volunteer emergency service workers from the ACA provides an opportunity for volunteer fire agencies to continue providing exceptional service without worrying about the loss of volunteers or financial difficulties. The IRSwhich is charged with enforcing many of the mandates contained in the new health care lawconsiders volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians working 30 hours per week as full time employees, forcing them to provide health insurance or pay a fine if they are large enough. These IRS regulations could have a big impact on fire departments in Oregon. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, nearly 90% of Oregon's 297 fire department are classified as all volunteer or mostly volunteer agencies.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-fdas-decision-revise-food-safety-rules-victory-common-sense,"Greg Walden: FDA's decision to revise food safety rules is ""a victory for common sense""",2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden: FDA's decision to revise food safety rules is a victory for common sense  December 19, 2013 KLAMATH FALLS U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) reacted today to the FDA's announcement that they would revise draft rules on water quality that would affect Oregon fruit and vegetable growers. This decision by the FDA is a victory for common sense. I repeatedly encouraged the agency to listen to concerns from growers that the draft rules were unworkable and could drive many small farms out of business. I'm glad the agency has listened and agreed to revise these unworkable rules. We can make sure food is safe without putting Oregon farmers out of business. As this process moves forward, I'll continue to encourage the FDA to work with growers to get this right, Walden said. Many farmers have pointed out that the original rules lacked common sense and a crop-specific approach, resulting in many of the proposed provisions being unworkable for growers. In particular, Walden heard concerns from onion growers in Malheur County and pear and cherry growers in the Columbia Gorge. Many growers were worried that grouping over 200 crops together in one category fails to account for differing risk profiles and production practices, which has led to the proposed requirements that may be unworkable or unnecessary for particular crops. Walden and other members of Congress, including Reps. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), twice met with FDA Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylor to discuss growers' concerns with the draft rules. After the first meeting, FDA officials travelled to the Pacific Northwest to hear from farmers first-hand. In November, Walden met with researchers and onion growers at OSU's Malheur County Experiment Station to learn about their research into the scientific basis of the food safety rules the FDA is developing. For example, according to the research conducted at the station, dry bulb onions grown in eastern Oregon pose no risk of E. coli contamination. Walden presented that research to the FDA the following week.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-supports-proposal-replace-changes-military-retiree-pensions,Greg Walden supports proposal to replace changes to military retiree pensions,2013-12-19,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden supports proposal to replace changes to military retiree pensions  December 19, 2013 KLAMATH FALLS U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced today that he has added his name as an original co-sponsor of a bill to protect military retirees from changes to their pension benefits that were included in the Ryan-Murray budget agreement passed by Congress within the past week. The bill would replace the pension cuts with a reform to ensure that billions of dollars in tax credits aren't improperly paid to illegal immigrants each year. I supported the budget agreement because it reduces the deficit and keeps the government open without raising taxes. But the agreement contained pension changes for certain military retirees that I would not have supported as a stand-alone plan. Although the pension changes don't take effect for two years, the time to fix this is now. Our common-sense bill replaces those pension changes with a plan to stop illegal immigrants from improperly receiving federal tax credits. This proposal protects military retirees, reduces the deficit, and further targets waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, Walden said. The bill would replace the changes to cost of living adjustments for military retirees with a reform that would stop illegal immigrants from receiving the refundable portion of the child tax credit by requiring tax filers to include their Social Security Number on tax return forms. The Joint Committee on Taxation has estimated that this reform saves $7 billion over 10 years. A 2011 report from the Department of Treasury indicates that $4.2 billion in these tax credits were paid out fraudulently in 2010 alone. For the full text of the plan, please click here. Walden is in Klamath Falls today for a roundtable with small businesses, a meeting with the president of Klamath Community College, and a meeting with Jeld-Wen.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walden-supports-spending-reduction-plan,Walden supports spending reduction plan,2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Walden supports spending reduction plan  Click here or on the image below to watch Walden's video message U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today announced his support for the bipartisan budget agreement offered by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.): This agreement is not broad in scope, but it's an important step in the right direction towards reducing wasteful spending and getting the federal government's fiscal house in order. It reduces waste, fraud, and abuse, tackles corporate welfare, and reforms programs that have been spending tax dollars on auto-pilot without regular scrutiny. In total, the agreement reduces the deficit by $23 billion without a single penny in tax increases. The plan stops government checks from going to ineligible criminals and the deceased. It stops paying bills that dead-beat parents and insurance companies should be on the hook for. A government research program for private energy companies is eliminated. These are just some of the many real spending reductions in this agreement.  This plan ensures the government will not shut down in January, allowing Congress to remain focused on efforts to grow our economy and reduce the size, scope, and cost of the federal government. While this agreement is an important step, Congress has much more work to do to balance the nation's budget, just like Oregon families do every month. The House is expected to vote on this bipartisan agreement this week, followed by the Senate. For more information on the agreement from the House Budget Committee, please click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walden-supports-spending-reduction-plan-0,Walden supports spending reduction plan,2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today announced his support for the bipartisan budget agreement offered by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.): This agreement is not broad in scope, but it's an important step in the right direction towards reducing wasteful spending and getting the federal government's fiscal house in order. It reduces waste, fraud, and abuse, tackles corporate welfare, and reforms programs that have been spending tax dollars on auto-pilot without regular scrutiny. In total, the agreement reduces the deficit by $23 billion without a single penny in tax increases. The plan stops government checks from going to ineligible criminals and the deceased. It stops paying bills that dead-beat parents and insurance companies should be on the hook for. A government research program for private energy companies is eliminated. These are just some of the many real spending reductions in this agreement.  This plan ensures the government will not shut down in January, allowing Congress to remain focused on efforts to grow our economy and reduce the size, scope, and cost of the federal government. While this agreement is an important step, Congress has much more work to do to balance the nation's budget, just like Oregon families do every month. The House is expected to vote on this bipartisan agreement this week, followed by the Senate. For more information on the agreement from the House Budget Committee, please click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walden-urges-fcc-suspend-work-fairness-doctrine-20,"Walden urges FCC to suspend work on ""Fairness Doctrine 2.0""",2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Walden urges FCC to suspend work on Fairness Doctrine 2.0  We were shocked to see that the FCC is putting itself back in the business of attempting to control the political speech of journalists, Walden and other members write  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and other members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today wrote to Federal Communications Chairman Tom Wheeler urging him to suspend the agency's efforts to conduct a field study that could lead to a revival of the Fairness Doctrine, an intrusion by the FCC into the freedoms of speech and the press. To read the letter, please click here. Given the widespread calls for the commission to respect the First Amendment and stay out of the editorial decisions of reporters and broadcasters, we were shocked to see that the FCC is putting itself back in the business of attempting to control the political speech of journalists. It is wrong, it is unconstitutional, and we urge you to put a stop to this most recent attempt to engage the FCC as the news police,' wrote Walden and the other members. The FCC is conducting a field study of critical information needs in local media markets, and will seek information on how local news media outlets select and prioritize news coverage. The commission has no business probing the news media's editorial judgment and expertise, nor does it have any business in prescribing a set diet of critical information.' These goals are plainly inappropriate and are at bottom an incursion by the government into the constitutionally protected operations of the professional news media, Walden and the other members wrote. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is the beacon of freedom that makes the United States unique among the world's nations. We urge you to take immediate steps to suspend this effort and find ways that are consistent with the Communications Act and the Constitution to serve the commission's statutory responsibilities, the letter concludes. Walden wrote the letter in his capacity as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. He was joined by 15 other members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, including Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.). In 2011, Walden and Upton urged then FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to remove the statute from the Code of Federal Regulations in 2011. The doctrine was eliminated in August 2011.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-if-you-your-plan-you-should-be-able-keep-it,"Greg Walden: If you like your plan, you should be able to keep it",2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden: If you like your plan, you should be able to keep it U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) addressed the House today about concerns he has heard from Oregonians about the new health care law. Last week, Walden was at home for an eight day swing through 12 counties in Oregon's Second District, covering 2,476 miles with 36 meetings. Walden heard numerous stories about cancelled insurance plans, diminished access to health care, and jobs lost or hours cut due to Obamacare. Today, with Walden's support, the House passed the Keep Your Health Plan Act (HR 3350) on a bipartisan basis. This common-sense legislation would allow plans available on the individual market today to be offered next year, providing millions of Americans the opportunity to keep their policies in 2014 and not face a penalty under the health care law. Below is a transcript of Walden's remarks to the House: I rise today as the voice of at least 150,000 Oregonians who have already received their cancellation notices. They've been told that their policy that they liked, that they wanted to keep, they can't have it any longer.  I was out in my district for eight straight days last week. 36 meetings. 12 counties. 2,476 miles on the road, from early in the morning to late at night.  I'm going to tell you, there are people like Chuck and Jan from Medford who went into retirement, had health insurance, until they got a notice their plan is being cancelled. From Mitchell to Bend, from Enterprise to Medford, all over.  Not only are their plans being cancelled, the replacements are coming back with deductibles that are $12,000 to $15,000 when they were paying a couple of thousand. And the premiums are going up, in some cases double or more. Some of them may get a subsidy. A lot of them won't. And now they don't have the plan they were promises they could keep. Another thing that's insidious that's going on below the surfaceI'm hearing it in meeting after meetinghours are being cut back, people are losing their jobs, they are getting less take-home pay because of Obamacare. This is a problem all across America. The promise that you can keep your plan was never going to be kept. And they knew it. They continued to say it, and it wasn't true.  People are losing their plans, they're losing their coverage, and they're losing access to the specialists that may save their lives. That's right. They won't be able to keep their doctors. Well, they may, but if the doctor is out of network, there's no cap on what they will pay in terms of deductible. So, financially, you take away their access to health care, the prices has gone up, the access has gone down, and in many cases, they've lost their jobs or their hours have been cut back.  Last month, the Associated Press reported that 150,000 health insurance plans in Oregon would be cancelled due to the health care law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-doc-hastings-lead-meeting-fda-push-common-sense-water,"Greg Walden, Doc Hastings lead meeting with FDA to push for common sense in water quality rules",2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden, Doc Hastings lead meeting with FDA to push for common sense in water quality rules  Oregon Rep. Greg Walden (second from left, at table) and Washington Rep. Doc Hastings (right) meet with FDA Deputy Commissioner (second from right, at table) Mike Taylor to share fruit and vegetable growers' concerns about new water quality rules.  U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) today led a meeting with top officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)including Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylorto voice continued concerns about draft water quality rules that could put many farmers out of business in the Northwest and nationwide. The FDA agreed to work to address concerns of growers, and to provide an additional opportunity for farmers to give input prior to the rules being finalized. Common-sense rules will make sure our food is safe without driving Oregon farmers out of business. I am pleased that the FDA has agreed to allow another opportunity for grower input before finalizing the rules and will work to address their concerns about why they are unworkable as currently drafted, Walden said. They have also agreed to take a look at new scientific research I received at OSU's experiment station in Malheur County last week. This evidence-based research is very helpful in showing that the rules as currently drafted just don't make any sense. The current proposed one-size-fits-all food safety regulations are simply unworkable in areas like Central Washington that rely on open ditch irrigation. It only makes sense that the FDA take into account the different ways produce  including apples, pears, and cherries  is grown and harvested, Hastings said. I look forward to working with the FDA to address the significant flaws that our growers have raised during the public comment period, and I am pleased that Deputy Commissioner Taylor pledged to provide growers another opportunity to provide input before any final rule is implemented. Members of Congress originally met with the FDA in July to voice concerns they had heard from fruit and vegetable growers, including onion growers in eastern Oregon and apple growers in eastern Washington. Since then, the FDA officials travelled to the Pacific Northwest to hear from farmers first-hand. The public comment period for the current draft of the rules ends on Friday. Any revision of the draft rules will likely become available after the first of the year. The FDA delegation was led by Mr. Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine. Other members of Congress present included Michigan Representatives Dan Benishek and Bill Huizenga. Last Thursday, Walden met with researchers and onion growers at OSU's Malheur County Experiment Station to learn about their research into the scientific basis of the food safety rules the FDA is developing. For example, according to the research conducted at the station, dry bulb onions grown in eastern Oregon pose no risk of E. coli contamination. Walden presented that research to the FDA during the meeting today. Many farmers have pointed out that the proposed rule lacks common sense and a crop-specific approach, resulting in many of the proposed provisions being unworkable for growers. Walden, Hastings, and other Members of Congress have heard from growers who are worried that grouping over 200 crops together in one category fails to account for differing risk profiles and production practices, which has led to the proposed requirements that may be unworkable or unnecessary for particular crops.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-doc-hastings-lead-meeting-fda-push-common-sense-water-0,"Greg Walden, Doc Hastings lead meeting with FDA to push for common sense in water quality rules",2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden, Doc Hastings lead meeting with FDA to push for common sense in water quality rules  Oregon Rep. Greg Walden (second from left, at table) and Washington Rep. Doc Hastings (right) meet with FDA Deputy Commissioner (second from right, at table) Mike Taylor to share fruit and vegetable growers' concerns about new water quality rules.  U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) today led a meeting with top officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)including Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylorto voice continued concerns about draft water quality rules that could put many farmers out of business in the Northwest and nationwide. The FDA agreed to work to address concerns of growers, and to provide an additional opportunity for farmers to give input prior to the rules being finalized. Common-sense rules will make sure our food is safe without driving Oregon farmers out of business. I am pleased that the FDA has agreed to allow another opportunity for grower input before finalizing the rules and will work to address their concerns about why they are unworkable as currently drafted, Walden said. They have also agreed to take a look at new scientific research I received at OSU's experiment station in Malheur County last week. This evidence-based research is very helpful in showing that the rules as currently drafted just don't make any sense. The current proposed one-size-fits-all food safety regulations are simply unworkable in areas like Central Washington that rely on open ditch irrigation. It only makes sense that the FDA take into account the different ways produce  including apples, pears, and cherries  is grown and harvested, Hastings said. I look forward to working with the FDA to address the significant flaws that our growers have raised during the public comment period, and I am pleased that Deputy Commissioner Taylor pledged to provide growers another opportunity to provide input before any final rule is implemented. Members of Congress originally met with the FDA in July to voice concerns they had heard from fruit and vegetable growers, including onion growers in eastern Oregon and apple growers in eastern Washington. Since then, the FDA officials travelled to the Pacific Northwest to hear from farmers first-hand. The public comment period for the current draft of the rules ends on Friday. Any revision of the draft rules will likely become available after the first of the year. The FDA delegation was led by Mr. Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine. Other members of Congress present included Michigan Representatives Dan Benishek and Bill Huizenga. Last Thursday, Walden met with researchers and onion growers at OSU's Malheur County Experiment Station to learn about their research into the scientific basis of the food safety rules the FDA is developing. For example, according to the research conducted at the station, dry bulb onions grown in eastern Oregon pose no risk of E. coli contamination. Walden presented that research to the FDA during the meeting today. Many farmers have pointed out that the proposed rule lacks common sense and a crop-specific approach, resulting in many of the proposed provisions being unworkable for growers. Walden, Hastings, and other Members of Congress have heard from growers who are worried that grouping over 200 crops together in one category fails to account for differing risk profiles and production practices, which has led to the proposed requirements that may be unworkable or unnecessary for particular crops.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-introduces-bill-improve-rural-hospital-care-reducing,Greg Walden introduces bill to improve rural hospital care by reducing government red tape,2013-11-08,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden introduces bill to improve rural hospital care by reducing government red tape In Pendleton, Walden visits St. Anthony Hospital about need for legislation to allow small hospitals to provide better care for patients PENDLETON  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) visited St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton today to announce introduction of bipartisan legislation to provide better health care at small, rural hospitals. The Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act (H.R. 3444) would change federal regulations for rural hospitals to give them greater flexibility in meeting the needs of patients. No patient should ever be turned away from a hospital because of bureaucratic red tape from Washington, D.C. I served on a community hospital board for five years, and know they have enough challenges in caring for patients without burdensome regulations getting in their way. I have introduced this bipartisan plan to provide flexibility for small, rural hospitals so that patients can get the care they need in the community where they live, Walden said. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) provide essential health care services to rural communities, including 12 in Oregon's Second District. Federal regulations limit the number of patients per day in CAHs to 25. It's rare, but when a CAH reaches this cap, it must turn away patients, transfer them to another location, remove patients from beds, or do other things that divert attention from patient care. This common-sense legislationintroduced with Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.)would allow CAHs to choose to either meet the current 25 patient per day limit or a limit of 20 patients per day averaged throughout the year. This modest degree of flexibility would permit CAHs to better address situations like unforeseen accidents, public health emergencies, seasonal fluctuations, flu season, or anything else that might arise and hinder a hospital's ability to provide patient care. Click here for the full text of the bill. In February, Walden visited Providence Hood River Memorial, to meet with CEO Ed Freysinger and receive input on the legislation. This week, Freysinger endorsed the legislation. Critical access hospitals such as ours serve communities with large numbers of Medicare, Medicaid and uninsured patients. We also face such seasonal situations as severe winter weather and increased population from the spring to early fall. We know that the flexibility proposed in Rep. Walden's bill would allow smaller, remote hospitals to continue providing vital acute care services in rural areas across the country, Freysinger said. Besides the hospitals in Prineville and Hood River, the legislation could benefit 10 other CAHs in Oregon's Second District.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-questions-hhs-sec-kathleen-sebelius-about-testing-problems,"Greg Walden questions HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius about testing problems, rate hikes associated with health law",2013-10-31,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden questions HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius about testing problems, rate hikes associated with health law  Walden: This is why some of us thought we should delay it so it could be done right to avoid this very collapse that is now upon us  Click here or on the image below to watch Walden's questioning   Today, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) questioned Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about failures in the implementation and launch of the new health care law at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Click here to watch Walden ask Secretary Sebelius about testing failures with the website and premium increases faced by Oregonians.  Following up on his line of questioning to healthcare.gov contractors last week, Walden asked Sebelius about assurances that HHS was extremely confident that the healthcare.gov marketplace would open on schedule on October 1, despite a lack of end to end testing. Sec. Sebelius admitted such testing was not adequately performed before launch. Walden also asked Sec. Sebelius about how HHS had written rules about existing insurance plans in such a way that forced countless Americans off their plans. He told her of constituents from around Oregon's Second District who have received letters from insurance companies saying that their plan has been cancelled due to the Affordable Care Act. For more information on today's hearing from the Energy and Commerce Committee, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-unanimously-passes-greg-waldens-central-oregon-jobs-and-water,U.S. House unanimously passes Greg Walden's Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act,2013-10-29,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. House unanimously passes Greg Walden's Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act  October 29, 2013  The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Rep. Greg Walden's (R-Ore.) Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act (H.R. 2640), which delivers needed water to Prineville for job creation, paves the way for clean energy at Bowman Dam, and gives life to important water conservation projects in the region. Passing this no-cost job creation plan is just common sense, which is why the House acted quickly to get this done for Central Oregon. The plan will create jobs in Crook County, cut through government red tape, help with clean energy generation, and improve water quality for fish and wildlife without costing taxpayers a penny. The clock is ticking, though. I urge the Senate to quickly consider and pass this legislation to finally get this done for Central Oregon, Walden said. The bill would fix a boundary line error at Bowman Dam, paving the way for construction of a small scale hydropower facility at the base of the dam. It would also provide job-creating water for the city of Prineville to attract additional projects like Facebook and Apple. Walden introduced this common-sense legislation in July 2013. The bill is identical to last year's version which passed the U.S. House unanimously in June 2012. It was not brought before the U.S. Senate for a vote last year. Background on the Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act Water for job creation in Crook County The bill allows Prineville to utilize up to 5,100 acre feet of water from Prineville Reservoir, or about 6 percent of the total unallocated water behind the dam (80,000 acre feet). The water certainty would allow Prineville to entice new technology opportunities like Facebook and Apple, and service all of the homes within city limits. Crook County's unemployment rate of 12.6 percent is the highest in the state. Clean energy and new jobs at Bowman Dam The bill would also clear the way for small-scale hydropower production at the base of Bowman Dam, creating about 50 jobs over the course of two construction seasons. Legislation is necessary to make this happen because of the way the law is writtencurrently. In 1988, Congress designated 17.8 miles of the Crooked River as part of the wild and scenic rivers system, which is charged with preserving rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. But when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) drew up the maps for the new wild and scenic area on the Crooked River after the 1988 designation, they placed one end of the boundary right down the middle of Bowman Dam. There is nothing wild and scenic about a dam,Waldensaid. Hydropower is not permitted in wild and scenic areas, so an act of Congress is required to fix the mistake and place the boundary line below the dam, where it should have been all along. Doing so will allow the hydropower project  and the jobs it would create  to go forward. In a letter sent to Walden in 2008,BLM State Director Ed Shepardsaid, The BLM does not believe that it was the intent of Congress to place the wild and scenic river boundary on the center of the dam or to even include the dam, but rather just below the dam and spillway structures. McKay Creek restoration and other conservation efforts Because Prineville accesses its water from ground sources, the 5,100 acre feet of water would be released downstream, providing additional spilled water into the Crooked River that could benefit the blue-ribbon trout fishery below Bowman Dam. The bill also boosts conservation efforts in McKay Creek to enhance fish habitat.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-other-house-leaders-meet-president-obama-tomorrow,"Greg Walden, other House leaders to meet with President Obama tomorrow",2013-10-09,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden, other House leaders to meet with President Obama tomorrow  Walden hopes White House meeting leads to a positive outcome that tackles fiscal issues  October 9, 2013 WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today issued the following statement before attending a meeting at the White House tomorrow with President Obama: Americans expect us to sit down, work together, and find a way forward. I'm hopeful that tomorrow's discussion will lead to a solution to America's short-term and long-term spending and deficit problem.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-unanimously-votes-extend-county-payments-one-year,U.S. House unanimously votes to extend county payments for one year,2013-09-25,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. House unanimously votes to extend county payments for one year  Greg Walden: This help is a lifeline, not a life boat Now is the time for the Senate to take positive action  September 25, 2013 Click here to watch Walden's remarks WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today applauded unanimous House passage of a one year extension of county timber payments and urged the Senate to join the House in passing a long-term solution for forested communities. This measure provides short-term relief to rural communities teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. But, let's be clear: this help is a lifeline, not a life boat. The status quo of asking Uncle Sam for a check year after year is not sustainable. However, managing our federal forests to create jobs and revenue? That's sustainable, said Walden during debate on the measure on the House floor. Last week, the House passed a long-term solution for our rural forested communities, the Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act. Now it's time for the United States Senate to take positive action. We need to create jobs in the woods. We need to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire. We need to improve the health of our watersheds and our forests. We need to help our forested communities get back to self-sufficiency and self-reliance, and get people back to work in the woods. The clock is ticking. It's time to get this done. Rural communities cannot wait any longer, Walden continued. The one-year extension was included in the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act (H.R. 527), which prevents an imminent shortage of helium and reforms the federal helium program to get the best return for taxpayers. It now must go back to the Senate before heading to the President's desk to be signed into law. Last Friday, the House passed the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act (H.R. 1526), on a bipartisan basis. The bill renews the federal government's commitment to actively manage federal forests to create jobs in the woods, improve forest health, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and generate revenue for local communities to provide essential local services like schools and law enforcement. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-passes-historic-bipartisan-forestry-bill-senate-action-needed,"U.S. House passes historic, bipartisan forestry bill; Senate action needed now",2013-09-20,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. House passes historic, bipartisan forestry bill; Senate action needed now  Greg Walden: This is our opportunity to make federal forest policy work for Oregonians and all Americans  September 20, 2013 Click here or on the image below to watch Walden's closing remarks in support of the bill   WASHINGTON The U.S. House today approved a historic forestry bill, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act (H.R. 1526), on a bipartisan basis. The bill renews the federal government's commitment to actively manage federal forests to create jobs in the woods, improve forest health, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and generate revenue for local communities to provide essential local services like schools and law enforcement. During debate over passage of the plan, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) told his colleagues of the dire situation faced in Oregon's forested communities because of broken federal forest policy. While these federal forests surrounding our rural communities are burning, rural families are sentenced to live in poverty as the mills close, the jobs disappear, all because we can't access our abundant and renewable natural resources on federal land. It's clear the status quo is not working for families in our rural communities. This broken system has to change, Walden said. The bill contains the O&C Trust, Conservation and Jobs Act, a plan offered by Walden and Reps. Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader to deal with Oregon's unique O&C lands. Their proposal would put people back to work in the woods and generate revenues to failing Oregon counties. We have worked though our differences and forged a balanced, common-sense plan that would create or save thousands of forest jobs in Oregon. We would ensure the health of these lands for future generations, and provide long-term funding certainty for Oregon's rural schools, roads, and law enforcement agencies that lie within these counties. And it would stem the tide of endless litigation, Walden told his colleagues. Walden urged the House to pass this legislation to change federal forest policy. The Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act will create prosperous communities and healthy forests. It will provide certainty for teachers and law enforcement officers. It will provide tools to our professional forest stewards to better manage our federal forests. It's our opportunity to make federal forest policy work for Oregonians and all Americans, Walden said. Passage of this bill continues Walden's mission to make forest policy work for Oregonians. He has been a leader in the passage of the bipartisan Healthy Forest Restoration Act, the Forest Emergency Research and Recovery Act, and the FLAME Act. For more information on the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act (H.R. 1526), click here. For information on the O&C Trust, Conservation, and Jobs Act, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-applauds-house-rules-committee-sending-major-forestry-bill,Greg Walden applauds House Rules Committee for sending major forestry bill to full U.S. House for passage,2013-09-18,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden applauds House Rules Committee for sending major forestry bill to full U.S. House for passage Historic bill includes Walden's long-term O&C lands solution; debate in House could begin as soon astomorrow September 18, 2013 Washington, D.C. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today applauded the House Rules Committee for sending the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act (H.R. 1526) to the full U.S. House for debate and passage. This is a big step forward towards making federal forest policy work for rural communities, in Oregon and across our nation. A green light from the Rules Committee is the final step before consideration by the full House, a process that could begin as soon astomorrow. I look forward to passing this plan out of the House as soon as possible. Rural communities can't wait any longer. Now is the time to get this done for Oregon, Walden said. The bill renews the federal government's commitment to actively manage federal forests to create jobs in the woods, improve forest health, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and provide revenue for local communities to provide essential local services like schools and law enforcement. The bill contains the O&C Trust, Conservation, and Jobs plan written by Walden and two of his colleagues from Oregon, Reps. Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader. Their proposal would create or save thousands of jobs in Oregon, provide revenues to failing Oregon counties, help sustain the local manufacturing base, and end the status quo of gridlock litigation. For more information on the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act (H.R. 1526),click here.For information on the O&C Trust, Conservation, and Jobs Act,click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-opposes-military-action-syria,Greg Walden opposes military action in Syria,2013-09-09,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden opposes military action in Syria  Click here to watch Rep. Walden's video message September 9, 2013 U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) issued the following statement announcing his opposition to using military force in Syria: Today, I attended a classified briefing to listen very carefully to top Administration officials make their case in person. They did not persuade me that the United States has a clear or achievable objective in Syria that can only be obtained through military force. And they have not made the case that dragging America into a civil war in the Middle East is in our national security interests. Absent a direct threat to the United States or our allies and a clear goal and definition of victory, I must oppose using military force in Syria. It is a very serious matter anytime the President asks Congress for the authority to use military force overseas. The situation in Syria is complex and dangerous, and what's happened to innocent civilians there is a tragedy. From day one, though, the Administration has mishandled this situation. The President has not shown strong leadership in the region or on the world stage. The United States should work with the international community to continue to pressure the Assad regime through sanctions and other diplomatic means. And we should make it clear that a direct threat to the United States or our allies in the region will not be tolerated. But, at this time, I believe that using military force in Syria will make the situation in the Middle East worse, not better, and will not make our nation safer.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-statement-presidents-announcement-syria,Greg Walden statement on President's announcement on Syria,2013-09-01,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden statement on President's announcement on Syria September 1, 2013 U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) released the following statement in response to the President's remarks on Syria: ""The President needs to make his case to Congress and to the American people regarding his plan, and what we can anticipate happening after whatever proposed military action is taken. The Assad regime and its allies will surely have a response. It's not clear what we may be getting America into."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-waldens-office-selected-participate-wounded-warrior-fellowship,Greg Walden's office selected to participate in Wounded Warrior fellowship program,2013-08-27,2013,2013-08,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden's office selected to participate in Wounded Warrior fellowship program
Fellow will serve as Veterans and Military Outreach/Casework Manager in Walden's office in Bend or Medford; applications being accepted now
August 27, 2013

BEND U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced today that his office has been selected to host a Wounded Warrior fellow, who will serve as a Veterans and Military Outreach and Casework Manager in his office in Bend or Medford. The fellow, who must have served on active duty since September 11, 2001 and have a 30% or greater disability rating, will assist Walden and his other veterans staff members in working with veterans, active duty military, and their families in southern, central, and eastern Oregon. Applications are now being accepted by the U.S. House of Representatives' Wounded Warrior program (more information below).
Those who wearor have wornour nation's uniform put their lives on the line to defend our nation. We owe our freedom to them. I work hard to ensure they receive the benefits they have earned through years of service, and I'm proud to have two veterans on my staff in Oregon to assist in this mission. I am looking for a veteran to join my team and work with me and my staff to assist veterans, active duty military, and their families with their needs from the federal government, Walden said.
The position is part of the Wounded Warrior program, which was established to create fellowships that provide employment opportunities for wounded or disabled veterans in the U.S. House of Representatives. Applicants must be a veteran who has served on active duty since September 11, 2011, have a 30% or greater disability rating from the VA/PEB and less than 20 years of service.
Walden currently has a retired Naval commander and a Marine on staff in Oregon, and the Wounded Warrior fellow will supplement their long-time service and expertise. Walden is a strong supporter of the Wounded Warrior program in the U.S. House, and has been proud to have hosted a Wounded Warrior fellow in his office in the past. He has been selected again by the Wounded Warrior program to host a fellow for two years.
The fellow, as Outreach and Casework Manager, will work primarily with veterans, active duty military and their families to assist with their needs from the federal government. The individual will travel to areas of Walden's large district to interact with Oregonians and assist in the coordination of verbal, written and electronic communication to veterans and active duty military and their families on behalf of the Representative. The person will help constituents interact with administrative and government agencies by acting as facilitators, ombudsmen and, in some cases, advocates. The position lends itself to helping the Representative's team in assisting a broad range of Oregonians, who stream into the public office, as well as planning and executing local congressional events.
For a full list of job duties and responsibilities, as well as requirements for the position, please click here. Interested applicants should submit a resume, a DD214 and a letter from the VA indicating a 30% or greater rating to housewoundedwarriors@mail.house.gov.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-broken-system-has-change,"Greg Walden: ""This broken system has to change""",2013-08-22,2013,2013-08,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden: This broken system has to change Click here or on the image below to watch Walden's video message August 22, 2013 MEDFORD U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today released the following statement on support from county commissioners and public safety officials for bipartisan forestry legislation he co-authored that is moving through Congress: I appreciate the support for our bipartisan forestry plan from these elected officials today. Our common-sense plan would put people back to work in the woods and provide certainty for local communities. Momentum is building to change our broken systemfrom local communities to the halls of Congress. This issue is too important to Oregonians to be held up any longer. We have to move quickly to get this done for our state. We're seeing too many fires, consume too much forestland, filling our skies with smoke all summer long. Meanwhile, we spend millions and millions fighting fire. This broken system has to change. Our bipartisan plan was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee a few weeks ago, and I have a commitment from the House leadership that it will be considered by the full House in September. Now is the time to get this done for Oregon. Today, elected officials from financially hard hit counties in Southern Oregonincluding Jackson and Josephine Countiesheld a press conference in support of the bipartisan O&C Trust, Conservation and Jobs plan offered by Walden and two of his colleagues from Oregon, Reps. Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader. Their proposal would create jobs, provide revenues to failing Oregon counties, help sustain the local manufacturing base, save the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars, and protect water, fish, and old growth. The plan was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee as part of a larger forestry bill, the Restoring Healthy Forests For Healthy Communities Act (H.R. 1526). The bill renews the federal government's commitment to manage federal forests for the benefit of rural communities, improves forest health, and helps prevent catastrophic wildfires like the ones burning around Oregon.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-oc-lands-solution-takes-important-step-forward-us-house,Bipartisan O&C lands solution takes important step forward in the U.S. House,2013-07-31,2013,2013-07,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bipartisan O&C lands solution takes important step forward in the U.S. House  House Natural Resources Committee approves Walden-DeFazio-Schrader plan to change federal forest policy in Oregon, setting up bill for passage by full House July 31, 2013 Click here or on the image below to watch Walden's video statement   WASHINGTON, D.C. The long-term, O&C lands proposal that U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) developed with his Oregon colleagues Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader took an important step forward today as it was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee. The next step in the process is consideration and approval in the full U.S. House. Today, we move one step closer to making federal forest policy work for Oregon's rural communities. It's clear that the status quo isn't working. There's a better way. We need to manage our forests so we can put people back to work in the woods, create healthy forests and communities, and provide essential local services like schools and law enforcement. The bipartisan plan I developed with my Oregon colleagues does just that, and I am pleased it has taken an important step forward today, Walden said. I am hopeful that the full House will take up this common-sense plan as soon as possible so that we can begin negotiations with the Senate. Now is the time to finally get this done for Oregon, Walden said.  Last February, Walden, DeFazio, and Schrader offered a realistic, bipartisan legislative proposal to help solve the O&C problems. Their proposal would create jobs, provide revenues to failing Oregon counties, help sustain the local manufacturing base, save the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars, and protect water, fish, and old growth. Specifically, the O&C Trust, Conservation, and Jobs Act: - Turns over management responsibility for roughly half of the O&C lands to be guided by Oregon forest law and a committee of Oregonians representing a variety of backgrounds. - The other half of the O&C lands, including old growth forests, would be preserved, with select thinning or other work needed to keep forests health. - Puts people back to work in the woods by creating or protecting 3,000+ forest sector jobs, according to the Oregon Forests Resources Institute. - Generates millions per year in county revenue to provide essential services like schools and law enforcement. - Allows for small portions of wilderness and wild and scenic rivers, but if the Trust is ever invalidated, so are the wilderness designations. The proposal secured broad support across the state, including from the Oregon State House, Oregon State Senate, fifteen Oregon county boards of commissioners, the Oregon State Sheriffs Association, and labor and industry groups. The bill was included as Title III of the Restoring Health Forests for Communities Act (H.R. 1526), sponsored by Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.). Both the bipartisan O&C plan and Chairman Hastings' bill aim to put people back to work in the woods across the country, and Walden is strongly supportive of both efforts.  For the full text of the bill considered today, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-waldens-central-oregon-jobs-and-water-security-act-unanimously,Greg Walden's Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act unanimously approved by House committee,2013-07-24,2013,2013-07,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden's Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act unanimously approved by House committee  Unanimous passage by House Natural Resources Committee sets bill up for passage in the full U.S. House   June 24, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden's (R-Ore.) Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act took an important step forward today. The House Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved the bill (H.R. 2640), sending it to the full House for consideration. The bill would fix a boundary line error at Bowman Dam, paving the way for construction of a small scale hydropower facility at the base of the dam. It would also provide job-creating water for the city of Prineville to attract additional projects like Facebook and Apple, and give life to important water conservation projects in the region. The committee approving this common-sense bill is an important step forward towards finally getting this done for Central Oregon. I look forward to the full House quickly considering the bill and approving it, Walden said. This is exactly the kind of common-sense, no-cost legislation that Congress should be taking up to create good jobs at no cost to the taxpayer. Now's the time to come together and get this done for Central Oregon. The bill that passed the House Natural Resources Committee today is identical to the bill passed by the committee and the full House in the last session of Congress.   H.R. 2640: Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act Carbon free energy and hydropower jobs. A clerical error led to the boundary line of the Crooked River Wild and Scenic Area being drawn down the middle of Bowman Dam, a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation dam and reservoir. Correcting the error requires congressional action. Moving the boundary line only  mile downstream will allow a small-scale, private hydropower facility at the base of Bowman Dam to be constructed. Construction of such a facility would employ about 50 skilled workers over the course of two construction seasons and would also provide approximately $140,000 in annual property tax revenues to Crook County. The hydropower facility may also resolve a total dissolved gas problem at Bowman Dam. This problem, which occurs at dams around the world, can impair fish and wildlife habitat. The new facility could potentially alleviate this problem, improving habitat in the Crooked River. Job-supporting water for Prineville. The legislation would allow the city of Prineville to utilize 5,100 acre feet of groundwater to meet existing and future demands, and allow it to attract new, sustainable businesses similar to the Facebook data center, which has created new jobs and sparked investment. Prineville relies solely on groundwater. The legislation would allow the City to secure up to 5,100 acre-feet of mitigation credits from the new releases of stored water at the dam into the Crooked River. These supplies would also be protected from diversion by others, benefitting fish and wildlife habitat in the river. These new releases represent a small fraction of the 80,000 acre feet of un-contracted water stored annually in the Reservoir. The new releases will increase existing minimum releases by a total of 7 cubic feet per second (cfs) over the entire year. In dry years, particularly in the winter, this higher release requirement could benefit fish and wildlife, including the blue-ribbon trout fishery below Bowman Dam. The water allocation for Prineville will also help the city create jobs and improve business opportunities. The city is currently in talks with multiple technology companies that are interested in locating to Prineville, but have indicated that the availability of water is a key consideration in their final decision. McKay Creek restoration and other conservation efforts. Rep. Walden's legislation would help spur the McKay Creek restoration project  which has stalled in recent years  by allowing Ochoco Irrigation District to deliver water to upper small family farms on McKay Creek. The restoration project would restore up to 11.2 cfs of water rights instream to McKay Creek. The project also improves flow during the early summer, a critical period for steelhead emergence and migration. This project is supported by numerous watershed councils and organizations including the Deschutes River Conservancy. The legislation also allows the Ochoco Irrigation District to participate in the Conserved Water program under Oregon State law, whereby a minimum of 25 percent of the total amount of water conserved must be placed instream, forever, as part of the program.Right now, the Ochoco Irrigation District, because of limitations in its contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, is unable to participate in this program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-why-does-president-obama-want-deny-oregon-families-same,Greg Walden: Why does President Obama want to deny Oregon families the same protection businesses are getting?,2013-07-17,2013,2013-07,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden: Why does President Obama want to deny Oregon families the same protection businesses are getting?  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today issued the following statement regarding his support of plans to delay two major Obamacare mandates and protect Oregon individuals, families, and businesses: How does President Obama have the authority to ignore a central requirement of his own signature law? He declared that businesses don't have to comply with Obamacare's employer mandate next year, but individuals and families must comply with the insurance mandate or pay a tax? That's not right or fair.  Today, I voted to protect all Americans from Obamacare's requirements to purchase insurance by voting to delay both the individual and employer mandates. Surprisingly, the White House has said that the president would veto these bills, even though one of them gives him the legal authority to do what he's already announced he plans to do unilaterally. Only in Washington, D.C. does that make sense.  Under the Affordable Care Act, countless Americans are getting kicked off their plans, and too many workers are losing their jobs or getting hours cut. It's time to repeal it and start over. This one year delay will allow us to work on real reforms that actually make healthcare more affordable for Oregon families without stifling job growth and innovation.  On July 2, 2013, the Obama Administration announced that they were unilaterally delaying the mandate that large employers provide health insurance for their employees under Obamacare for one year. Today, the House passed, with bipartisan support, the Fairness for American Families Act (H.R. 2668), which would provide similar relief to those impacted by the individual health insurance mandate under the health law. It also passed, again with bipartisan support, the Authority for Mandate Delay Act (H.R. 2667), which authorizes the Obama Administration's delay of the employer mandate for one year. On July 16, in a Statement of Administration Policy, the White House announced that the president would veto these commonsense measures. It states this legislation would undermine key elements of the health law, even though the Obama Administration has already announced that they will unilaterally delay one of the key provisions anyway.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-mike-simpson-lead-meeting-fda-voice-concerns-about-new-water,"Greg Walden, Mike Simpson lead meeting with FDA to voice concerns about new water quality rules affecting fruit and vegetable growers",2013-07-10,2013,2013-07,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden, Mike Simpson lead meeting with FDA to voice concerns about new water quality rules affecting fruit and vegetable growers Oregon Rep. Greg Walden (second from right) and Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson (right) meet with FDA officials to share fruit and vegetable growers' concerns about new water quality rules. At left is Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine (More photos available upon request)  WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) today led a meeting with other members of Congress and top officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to directly convey concerns they have heard from Oregon and Idaho onion farmers and fruit growers about new water quality rules that could cripple family farms nationwide. Walden and Simpson invited the FDA officials to travel to Oregon and Idaho, and the officials are planning a trip to Oregon, Idaho, and Washington next month to hear from Northwest growers first-hand. When I heard concerns from eastern Oregon farmers, particularly onion growers, about new water quality rules the FDA is drafting, I asked for a meeting with the agency to air these concerns directly. I'm pleased that the agency has agreed to work with farmers as the rules are drafted, and that they are willing to travel to eastern Oregon and Idaho to hear from onion producers and other growers there directly, Walden said. A practical, common-sense rule will help achieve the goal of greater food safety without placing unnecessary regulatory burdens on American farm families that could drive them out of business. I'm greatly concerned about the impact the FDA's proposed rule will have on agriculture in Idaho, said Simpson. With an administration that seems to issue an abundance of rules and regulations for all industry, it is especially important that we seek input from Idaho producers to ensure that we reach an effective and sensible solution. The FDA delegation was led by Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine. Other members of Congress present included Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), and Rep. Dan Benishek (R-Mich.). On June 21, Walden traveled to Nyssa, Ore. and met with onion growers who are concerned that the new regulations, as currently drafted, could force them out of business. Additionally, Walden has heard similar concerns from apple and cherry growers in the Columbia Gorge. Many farmers have pointed out that the proposed rule lacks common sense and a crop-specific approach, resulting in many of the proposed provisions being unworkable in the field, literally speaking. Walden and Simpson have heard from growers who are worried that grouping over 200 crops together in one category fails to account for differing risk profiles and production practices, which has led to the proposed requirements that may be unworkable for particular crops.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-re-introduces-central-oregon-jobs-and-water-security-plan,Greg Walden re-introduces Central Oregon jobs and water security plan,2013-07-10,2013,2013-07,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden re-introduces Central Oregon jobs and water security plan  Now is the time to get this done for Central Oregon,' Walden says Click here or on the image below to watch Rep. Walden's video message WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today re-introduced the Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act, which delivers needed water to Prineville for job creation, clears the way for clean energy at Bowman Dam, and creates new water conservation opportunities in Central Oregon. This is a no-cost, job-creating, clean energy plan, and passing it is just common-sense. The bill will create jobs in Central Oregon, cut through government red tape, provide for clean energy generation, and improve water quality and flows for fish and wildlife, all without costing the taxpayer a dime. This bill passed unanimously through the House last Congress, and I look forward to moving it swiftly through the House again. Now is the time to get this done for Central Oregon. Walden said. The previous version of the bill, which is identical to this year's version, passed the U.S. House unanimously in June 2012. It was not brought before the U.S. Senate for a vote. Water for job creation in Crook County  The bill allows Prineville to utilize up to 5,100 acre feet of water from Prineville Reservoir, or about 6 percent of the total unallocated water behind the dam (80,000 acre feet). The water certainty would allow Prineville to entice new technology opportunities like Facebook and Apple, and service all of the homes within city limits. Crook County's unemployment rate of 12.5 percent is the highest in the state. ""Prineville needs the tools necessary to create jobs and attract new businesses. This small amount of water will help do just that, Walden said. Clean energy and new jobs at Bowman Dam  The bill would also clear the way for small-scale hydropower production at the base of Bowman Dam, creating about 50 jobs over the course of two construction seasons. Legislation is necessary to make this happen because of the way the law is written currently. In 1988, Congress designated 17.8 miles of the Crooked River as part of the wild and scenic rivers system, which is charged with preserving rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. But when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) drew up the maps for the new wild and scenic area on the Crooked River after the 1988 designation, they placed one end of the boundary right down the middle of Bowman Dam. There is nothing wild and scenic about a dam, Walden said. Hydropower is not permitted in wild and scenic areas, so an act of Congress is required to fix the mistake and place the boundary line below the dam, where it should have been all along. Doing so will allow the hydropower project  and the jobs it would create  to go forward. In a letter sent to Walden in 2008, BLM State Director Ed Shepard said, The BLM does not believe that it was the intent of Congress to place the wild and scenic river boundary on the center of the dam or to even include the dam, but rather just below the dam and spillway structures. McKay Creek restoration and other conservation efforts  Because Prineville accesses its water from ground sources, the 5,100 acre feet of water would be released downstream, providing additional spilled water into the Crooked River that could benefit the blue-ribbon trout fishery below Bowman Dam. The bill also boosts conservation efforts in McKay Creek to enhance fish habitat. Community support for the plan  Prineville Mayor Betty Roppe, Chairman of the Central Oregon Cities Organization: Water supply certainty will not only benefit all of our citizens but is vital to the economic development that is sorely needed in our community. We still have one of the highest unemployment rates in the State of Oregon. This legislation will benefit our agriculture community while also benefiting the Crooked River environment, recreation, fish and wildlife. I am proud of Rep. Walden's leadership. The Central Oregon Cities Organization strongly believes that Congressman Walden's legislation is a responsible, balanced step to improve Central Oregon's social, economic and environmental values. Crook County Judge Mike McCabe: This bill is vital for our community, both from the residential and from the industrial perspective. With the loss of timber jobs, we need to find sustainable ways to provide water for businesses, cities, farmers and ranchers. Fishermen and flat water boaters also benefit from this legislation. Rep. Walden's bill is a terrific step to sustaining and creating jobs in Oregon. Brian Barney, Ochoco Irrigation District: U.S. Representative Greg Walden's proposed legislation is of great benefit to our local farmers and ranchers. The legislation creates certainty of our water availability much like we have relied upon for the last 50 years. Agriculture is a large supporter of our local economy and agriculture relies heavily on water. Irrigation water serves a multitude of needs and with the District's management of this resource, in conjunction with spring runoff, benefits recreational interests by providing water for all to enjoy. The Legislation also contains provisions that provide Ochoco Irrigation District the opportunity to participate in water conservation programs and allow a portion of the conserved water to be permanently designated for instream purposes to benefit downstream fisheries. We would like to thank Congressman Walden and his staff for all of the hard work they have put in to make this legislation a success for all involved.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-allyson-schwartz-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-ease,"Greg Walden, Allyson Schwartz introduce bipartisan legislation to ease access to home health services",2013-06-26,2013,2013-06,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden, Allyson Schwartz introduce bipartisan legislation to ease access to home health services  For a video message from Rep. Walden, click here or on the image below  WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Allyson Schwartz (D-Penn.), along with 19 other co-sponsors, introduced bipartisan legislation today to ensure that seniors and disabled citizens have timely access to home health services under Medicare. The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2013 will allow physician assistants (PA), nurse practitioners (NP), clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives to order home health services for Medicare beneficiaries. This common-sense bill will reduce unnecessary and duplicative burdens on health care providers and patients in need of home health services,Rep. Greg Walden said. Particularly in rural areas like central, southern, and eastern Oregon where physicians are scarce, these clinicians play an increasingly important role in the delivery of primary health care services. Not only are they serving on the front lines of primary care, but alsoin many areas they are the onlyoption readilyavailable. We have a responsibility to provide America's seniors with high quality, cost effective health care. A key part of that is ensuring they have timely access to health care services in the privacy, comfort and security of their own homes, Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz said. These highly-skilled health care professionals play a central role in the delivery of primary care, particularly in medically underserved areas, and are crucial to coordinating team-based care. Currently, Medicare recognizes PAs, NPs, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives as authorized providers who are able to perform many services for Medicare beneficiaries, including ordering nursing home care and prescribing medicine. However, they are not able to order less costly and less intrusive home health care services. Even in states such as Oregon that have explicitly expanded their laws to allow other medical providers to order home care, Medicare will still not certify payment for these services until a physician signs the order. Those seniors and disabled citizens who see these medical professionals as their primary care providers often need an extra office visit with an unknown physician in order to get the care they need. In such situations, this impediment merely amounts to extra administrative and paperwork burden, and creates an unnecessary step that fails to recognize current training and scope-of-practice guidelines. As a result, patients in need of home health care services are either placed in more expensive health care settings, or experience a delay in receiving the care they need. This legislation will relieve that burden for our most vulnerable citizens. If enacted, this legislation could produce significant savings for Medicare, with one study estimating that the plan would save over $100 million over ten years. In the rural eastern Oregon town of Enterprise, Theresa Russell serves as the only permanent primary care provider in her clinic, Olive Branch Family Health. As an NP, current law allows her to treat patients in home health settings, but she must wait for a physician's signature to do so. In rural towns like Enterprise, that wait time can stretch for a week, or sometimes even a month. This commonsense, bipartisan change in the law would allow NPs like Theresa to make the decision and speed rural health delivery to seniors. Under current law, NPs not being able to order home health for Medicare patients results in delay for the patient and interruptions in continuity of care, Theresa Russell said. This also leads to increased cost of care when a patient of mine needs to be seen by an additional provider. Studies have shown that the expanded use of these professionals can result in dramatic decreases in expensive hospitalizations and nursing home stays, said Val Halamandaris, President of National Association for Homecare and Hospice. We appreciate the outstanding leadership [Reps. Walden and Schwartz] have shown in helping make home and community based services more readily available to our nation's elderly population and those with disabilities. This bill is supported by prominent national health care groups, such as the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, the American Nurses Association, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the American College of Nurse Midwives, and the American College of Nurse Practitioners. Besides Reps. Walden and Schwartz, the bill was introduced with 19 other co-sponsors, including Oregon Reps. Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader, and Suzanne Bonamici. For the full text of the bill, please click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-supports-bipartisan-plan-protect-forest-roads-and-jobs,Greg Walden supports bipartisan plan to protect forest roads and jobs,2013-06-19,2013,2013-06,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden supports bipartisan plan to protect forest roads and jobs  Amendment to House Farm Bill protects rural forested communities from further burdensome regulation; plan unanimously passed by the U.S. House June 19, 2013 Click here or on the image below to watch Rep. Walden's remarks    Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today delivered remarks in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of a bipartisan amendment to the House Farm Bill that would prevent costly new federal regulations and permit requirements for forest roads. It was later passed unanimously by the House. Below is a transcript of Walden's remarks: I thank my colleagues from Washington and Oregon for their work on this legislation. This is very important to the men and women who work in the woods in the Northwest.  For nearly four decades, the Environmental Protection Agency has said that driving down a forest road is not the same as pumping raw sewage into a river. They're much different activities! This amendment would prevent the federal government from subjecting forested communities and business to further costly permits for everyday activities, like driving down a road. Rural forested communities in the Northwest have been hurting for a very long time. Those who live there, we know all about the high unemployment rates. We know all about the high poverty rates. We know about the percentage of kids on free and reduced lunch because of burdensome federal regulations that have shut down activity on our federal forests. Now lawsuits have threatened to do this on our private forests as well.  The last thing they need is more costly and lawsuit-prone regulations that will further impact rural communities and the people who live there that simply want the opportunity to work in the woods, raise their families, and grow their communities.  Passing this bipartisan amendment will provide some certainty moving forward for rural forested communities, forest managers, and the people who work in the woods. I urge my colleagues to stand for jobs, stand for rural America and vote for this bipartisan amendment. This bipartisan plan would maintain the status quo of how forest roads are currently regulated by the EPA, which is in line with the state of Oregon's standards. It preserves the EPA's position that forest roads should not be regulated as pollution sources under the Clean Water Act and would prevent further determinations in the future by the federal government that costly permits be required for everyday activities, such as reforestation, thinning, and pest and fire control, that occur across the country on public, private, state and tribal forest roads.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-announces-john-day-student-winner-congressional-art-0,Greg Walden announces John Day student as winner of Congressional Art Competition,2013-06-18,2013,2013-06,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden announces John Day student as winner of Congressional Art Competition  Emma Hughes chosen as Oregon's Second District winner in An Artistic Discovery competition; work to be displayed in U.S. Capitol June 10, 2013  WASHINGTON, D.C.  Representative Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced today that Emma Hughes of John Day has been selected as the overall winner for Oregon's Second Congressional District in the 2013 Congressional Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery. Emma's artwork, entitled Starry Eyed, will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. Two other students from John Day, Hannah Pereira and Lindsey Weymouth, were the runners-up in the competition. Their artwork will hang in Representative Walden's eastern Oregon office in La Grande. Ms. Judith JJ Collier, a visual arts teacher at Grant Union High School, was instrumental in organizing the entries from John Day. The third runner-up is Sadie Heron, of Redmond. Her artwork will hang in Rep. Walden's central Oregon office in Bend. I want to congratulate Emma on this accomplishment. The artwork she submitted is a testament to her talent, and I look forward to seeing it featured in the U.S. Capitol. Her work will be displayed among the best artistic talent from students throughout the nation. I'd also like to commend runners-up Hannah, Lindsey, and Sadie for their outstanding work and talent, Walden said. This competition is a tremendous opportunity for young people interested in art, and I want to thank all those who participated, including a dedicated and fantastic team of judges from throughout the Second District. We had many wonderful pieces submitted for this year's competition, and all of the students, their teachers, and families should be proud. The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide program for students to showcase their artistic abilities and to highlight the importance of art education. In order to enter the competition, students are asked to submit two-dimensional artwork that is original in concept, design and execution. A panel of art professionals judges the submitted pieces to determine the overall winner and runners-up, whose art will hang in Representative Walden's offices in Oregon for one year.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-blm-forest-service-get-ready-fire-season-now,"Greg Walden to BLM, Forest Service: Get ready for fire season now",2013-05-23,2013,2013-05,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden to BLM, Forest Service: Get ready for fire season now  Walden meets with top federal officials, urges them to learn the lessons of last year's fire season  May 23, 2013   Rep. Walden hands a letter to BLM official Jerry Perez urging the agency to get ready for fire reason now and learn the lessons of last year's historic fires U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced today that he has written to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) outlining his concerns about the upcoming wildfire season in Oregon and stressing the need for the agencies to learn from last year's historic wildfires. He personally handed the letter to USFS Regional Forester Kent Connaughton today and to BLM Oregon/Washington Director Jerry Perez last week. Rep. Walden will travel to eastern Oregon later today and will receive further input from citizens about wildfire prevention. Click here for a copy of the letter.  With over 1.2 million acres of range and forest land burned last year, Oregon experienced some of the worst wildfires in its history. Affected rural communities struggle to recover as they face drought and the likelihood of yet another active fire season. I am asking you to build on the lessons learned last year, Rep. Walden wrote in the letter. He then listed suggestions for a better response from federal agencies he has heard from Oregon communities. These suggestions include: With only 1.4 percent of 9.2 million acres in the National Forest Service system (just 129,000 acres) being managed each year in central, eastern, and southern Oregon, take more aggressive management actions to avoid losing forests to catastrophic wildfire.When drought conditions exist, extinguish wildfires as quickly as possible to minimize loss of timber and range.Establish local community liaisons now that could be brought in as a resource to enhance communication between the agency, the communities, and private land owners.Define and establish additional grazing opportunities now for livestock impacted by wildfire.Take greater advantage of private wildland firefighting businesses which are providing important best-value resources both for initial and extended suppression operations. Rep. Walden concluded the letter by stressing the need to take action on these recommendations now, before the height of wildfire season. With what is likely to be a very active fire season approaching, I trust your federal agencies will consider my thoughts and seek input now and throughout fire session from local communities on improving the effectiveness of fire suppression efforts, Rep. Walden wrote.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-waldens-bill-advance-internet-freedom-approved-us-house,Greg Walden's bill to advance internet freedom approved by U.S. House,2013-05-15,2013,2013-05,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden's bill to advance internet freedom approved by U.S. House Unanimous vote sends strong signal to the world that the U.S. opposes efforts by authoritarian regimes to subvert the Internet  Click here or on the image below to watch Rep. Walden's remarks on the House floor     WASHINGTON  The U.S. House of Representatives today unanimously approved bipartisan legislation (H.R. 1580) written by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) that affirms it is the policy of the United States to promote a global Internet free from government control. The Internet is possibly the most important technological advancement since the printing press. Governments' hands off approach has enabled the Internet's rapid growth and made it a powerful engine of social and economic freedom. This bipartisan bill is designed to combat recent efforts by some in the international community to regulate the Internet, which could jeopardize not only its vibrancy, but also the benefits it brings to the world, Rep. Walden said on the House floor during consideration of the bill (click here to read Rep. Walden's full statement). Last Congress, a similar measure unanimously passed the House and Senate. In light of continued international efforts to regulate the Internet, members voted today to make it official U.S policy, rather than merely a sense of the Congress. Rep. Walden is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and this legislation has been a priority for the subcommittee this year. Earlier in the year, the subcommittee held a joint hearing with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on the subject. Just as international opponents of internet freedom are redoubling their efforts, so must we. That is why the hearing we held focused on draft legislation elevating the language of last year's resolution from a sense of Congress aimed at particular treaty negotiations to a generalized statement of U.S. law, Rep. Walden said. Last month, this legislation was approved unanimously by the House Energy and Commerce Committee after Rep. Walden made changes to accommodate concerns from Democratic members of the committee. After passing the House, it now goes to the Senate to be considered. On April 10, Rep. Walden penned an op-ed in The Bulletin arguing that Congress must walk the walk on internet freedom. Click here to read that op-ed.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walden-bill-advance-internet-freedom-moves-forward-congress,Walden bill to advance internet freedom moves forward in Congress,2013-04-17,2013,2013-04,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Walden bill to advance internet freedom moves forward in Congress Bipartisan bill unanimously approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee April 17, 2013 Click here or on the image below to watch Rep. Walden's opening statement  WASHINGTON  The House Energy and Commerce Committee today unanimously approved bipartisan legislation written by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) to affirm the policy of the United States regarding Internet governance. The legislation (H.R. 1580), which was approved by voice vote, will promote a global Internet free from government control. Last Congress, a similar measure unanimously passed the House and Senate. In light of continued international efforts to regulate the Internet, members voted today to make it official U.S policy rather than merely a sense of the Congress. Let me be clear why we are here today: the continuing threat to the Internet is very real, Rep. Walden said. Under the multi-stakeholder governance model, non-regulatory institutions manage and operate the Internet by developing best practices with public and private sector input. Governments' hands-off approach has enabled the Internet to grow at an astonishing pace and become perhaps the most powerful engine of social and economic freedom and job creation the world has ever known, Rep. Walden continued. Rep. Walden concluded, By elevating this language from a resolution to U.S. policy, this bill will show our country's resolve to oppose efforts by authoritarian regimes to subvert the Internet for their own purposes, and I hope to encourage other nations to join our cause. The bill was approved unanimously after Rep. Walden made changes to accommodate concerns from Democratic members of the Committee. At the markup, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Ca.), the Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Ca.), the Ranking Member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, thanked Rep. Walden for his work to address their concerns. Last week, the bill was approved by the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, which Rep. Walden chairs. The next stop is a vote by the entire U.S. House of Representatives. On April 10, Rep. Walden penned an op-ed in The Bulletin arguing that Congress must walk the walk on internet freedom. Click here to read that op-ed.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-we-will-emerge-nation-stronger-ever,"Greg Walden: ""We will emerge as a nation stronger than ever before""",2013-04-16,2013,2013-04,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden: We will emerge as a nation stronger than ever before Click here or on the image below to watch Rep. Walden's remarks on yesterday's attack in Boston  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today delivered remarks on the House floor about the acts of terrorism in Boston yesterday. Below is a transcript of his remarks: Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of Oregon's Second District to offer my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of the senseless act of terrorism in Boston.  Scripture tells us Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Our prayers go to those who lost loved ones and to the injured as they recover so that they may be comforted.  Our thanks go to the first responders and good Samaritans who selflessly assisted the victims yesterday. That's what Americans dothey help their fellow men and women in a time of need. That's a common bond that unites us.  Boston is the birthplace of the American Revolution, the cradle of liberty for our nation. That spirit of freedom and brotherhood lives on in us as Americans, and brings us closer together in our grief.  As Americans, we will care for the victims and their families. We will ensure that justice is done to those behind this cowardly attack. And we will emerge as a nation stronger than ever before.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/full-testimony-rep-greg-walden-long-term-oc-lands-solution,"Full testimony of Rep. Greg Walden on a long-term, O&C lands solution",2013-04-11,2013,2013-04,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Testimony of Rep. Greg Walden (OR-02) House Subcommittee on Public Lands  and Environmental Regulations Natural Resources Committee 10:00 AM  April 11, 2013 1324 Longworth House Office Building Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva, This is an important and timely hearing and I'm encouraged by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks Forests and Public Lands' interest in identifying a long-term solution for our federal forest counties and the hardworking people who live there. I recognize my colleagues from Oregon, Representatives Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader, for working with me and many other Oregonians who agree that the status quo serves no one well. Later today you will hear from Oregon's Douglas County Commissioner Doug Robertson who also chairs the Oregon & California Counties Association (O&C Counties) and Tom Tuchmann, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber's Forestry and Conservation Advisor. I am very pleased that the Committee called on these two individuals given their combined wealth of knowledge on the issues before us today. It's time for real change. Let me be clear about what our forested communities facesince 1990 the timber harvest from federal timber lands in Oregon has dropped by more than 90 percentin fact 60 percent of Oregon's forestland is owned by the federal government but contributes only 12 percent to Oregon's total timber harvest. The mortality rates are above 19 percent on federal lands and we have endured hundreds of thousands of acres lost to wildfire, bug infestations, and disease. That's not a healthy picture. The economic picture in Oregon's rural forested communities is just as bad. According to the Oregon Employment Department, of the 14 forested counties I represent, 10 currently face double digit unemployment. If this wasn't shocking enough, consider that eight of these same counties over the last five years have had an average poverty level of 14 percent or greater. How could we let this happen to our rural forested communities? Remember from 1980 to today, Oregon went from 405 open mills to just 106 open mills  a 74 percent decrease in capacity available to do work in the woods. We went from 45,778 mill jobs to 15,706 in that time  a 66 percent drop. There appears to be a direct connection between the loss of mills and jobs and the substantial increase in poverty - consider this, Harney County in 1989 had three operating mills and a poverty rate of 10.6 percent. The county no longer has a single mill and a poverty rate of 18.6 percent. According to the Oregon Department of Education, nearly 60 percent of school children in the county qualify for free and reduced lunch. Harney County have seen the affects of one large catastrophic wildfire after another and a total loss of their mill infrastructure while hundreds of thousands of acres of forest surrounding them are in desperate need of treatmentand hundreds of people in the community are in desperate need of a good, family wage job. This is a ludicrous situation and I am unwilling to say that we can't fix this! The Oregon Employment Department understood this connection to the loss of mill infrastructure and impact on the community, when in 2007 after mills closed in John Day, Wallowa, and Hines, a report was issued which said the job losses across the three communities was the equivalent to the Portland metro area of suddenly having over 26,000 additional people out of work. What this means is that a job in one of Oregon's rural forested community has the potential local economic impact as 139 jobs in one or Oregon's metropolitan areas. What would the outcry be if suddenly Portland-Beaverton-based Intel and Nike just shut downwhat would the impact be on schools, business, churches..the community? Well just ask people who live in John Day, Wallowa, and Hinesthey will tell you it's devastating. I think we can all agree that the status quo doesn't work, and won't work going forward. Our communities don't even want the status quo. They don't want the handout that's made them dependent on the federal government. They want jobs. They want healthy forests. They're tired of the catastrophic fire and the bug infestation. They're sick of the budgeting uncertainty that comes with not knowing if Uncle Sam will pay his fair share. The O&C Counties sent the Oregon delegation a letter on March 11 that I would like to enter into the record. In it they make statements like The O&C Counties are not interested in legislation that only pretends to solve the problemare seeking meaningful relief from the unacceptable status quoand that they (the O&C Counties) remain steadfastlysupportive of the O&C Lands Trust, Conservation and Jobs Act as currently proposed by myself and Representatives DeFazio and Schrader. Counties and forested communities are calling on the congress to provide them the ability to pursue the American ideal of self-reliance once more. I would like to now enter into the record a report prepared in December for Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and members of the Oregon legislature titled the National Forest Health Restoration - An Economic Assessment of Forest Restoration on Oregon's Eastside National Forests which contains some remarkable and telling facts about the current ecological and economic conditions of forest lands and communities. It is important to note the diverse and knowledgeable group that made up the steering committee - Association of Oregon Counties; Ochoco Lumber Company; Office of Governor John Kitzhaber; Oregon Business Council; Oregon Department of Energy; Oregon Department of Forestry; Oregon Forest Resources Institute; Oregon Solutions; Oregon State University; Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; Sustainable Northwest; The Nature Conservancy; and the Forest Service. As stated from the report The purpose of this study is to provide an accurate economic impact assessment of forest health restoration on Oregon's eastside National Forests. The basic takeaways of the report are that reduced forest management activity in eastern, southern, and central Oregon has decreased timber supply and hurt many families. The report clearly states that between 2006 and 2011, annual food stamp use and welfare payments in these areas tripled to nearly $300 million, and in 2010, Oregon distributed $470 million in unemployment insurance claims to 29,000 people in the study area. The report underscored that fact that in these rural forested communities, nearly 1 in 5 people live in poverty, the highest rate in Oregon. Not only are the forests unhealthy, so are these rural forested communities. It doesn't have to be this way. Oregon's county governments are crying out for change. I would like to enter into the record a letter sent by the Association of Oregon Counties this week which states: We are faced with two dire problems in the vast stretches of Oregon dominated by national and O&C forests: 1. The forests are sickly, crowded, dead, dying, and burning up; and 2. Surrounding and dependent communities are in deep economic dysfunction. Both problems can be addressed through active management of our federal forests.  To underscore this call for change, consider that across southern, central, and eastern Oregon that there are approximately 19.8 million acres of forestland  11.3 million of which is administered by the Forest Service. Approximately 9.2 million acres of this ground is available for management or, in other words, not excluded by congressional action from forest management activities. A key fact in the Governor's report is that 78 percent of this 9.2 million acres, or 7.1 million acres, are at significant risk of crown fire, a most devastating type of wildfire. Remarkably, the Forest Service is only able to conduct forest management activities  commercial timber harvest, stewardship contracts, watershed restoration, hand piling, etc  on 1.4 percent of the entire 9.2 million acres  just 129,000 acres each year. Are you kidding me! We all know that each year the federal government spends a tremendous amount of money on fighting wildfires. The Governor's report stated: From 2007 to 2011, large fires annually burned an average of 56,000 acres of national forestland in eastern Oregon, which cost $43.6 million, on average. Based on these five-year averages, the USFS spends an estimated $780 per acre on expenses related to fire suppression each year. These costs include the cost to suppress and contain the fire as well as any rehabilitation of fire suppression activities. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, over a 20 year period from 1980 to 2000 wildfires in eastern Oregon burned approximately 553,000 acres with an average fire size of 26,000 acres. Over the last 10 years wildfires in the same area has burned a total of 1 million acres averaging 93,000 acres. Now here's the real kicker - from 2007 to 2011, fires east of the Cascades larger than 100 acres burned an estimated 279,000 of federal forest lands costing $218 million in suppression costs. The Governors report sums up this situation, stating: At current levels, the USFS spends $40.8 million dollars each year to treat 129,000 acres. Based on the average fire suppression cost of $780 per acre, the USFS would incur approximately $100 million in fire suppression costs each year if 129,000 acres were left untreated and burned by wildfire. The difference between the cost of implementing restoration and incurring fire suppression costs represents a potential $59.2 million annual savings for the USFS. In other words, for every $1 the USFS spends on forest restoration, the agency avoids a potential loss of $1.45. Remember, the current forest management footprint across southern, central, and eastern Oregon is only conducting projects on 1.4 percent of the 9.2 million acres. As outlined in the report, in order to treat all the available acres at least one time during a 20 year time period, the Forest Service will need to reach an annual pace of 5 percent. No part of the study area even comes close to conducting projects at this level. In fact, if we doubled the amount of acres treated every year to 258,000 acres, we would still fall 202,000 acres less than what is needed to achieve a 5 percent accomplishment rate of 460,000 acres a year! I highlight all of these points because this is the exact same story which is playing out across our western forest reserves. President Theodore Roosevelt, the father of our great forest system, would be horrified at the conditions of our forest and rural communities. I assure you that he would charge forward to fix this problem. It's clear the status quo isn't working. We need to get our rural communities working again. I would like to enter into the record a joint Oregon Senate-House legislative resolution (SJM10) sponsored by Republicans and Democrats, including the state Senate President and Speaker of the Oregon House. The resolution urges Congress to transfer management of Oregon and California Railroad grant lands to newly established board of trustees consisting of representatives from local government, environmental organizations and timber industry. Momentum is building for changefrom county commission chambers to the committee rooms of the state legislature to the halls of Congress. We can do this. We can put people back to work in the woods. We can create prosperous communities and healthy forests. We can provide certainty for teachers and law enforcement officers. We can better manage our forests. This is our opportunity to make federal forest policy work for Oregon. I look forward to being a part of this effort.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-our-chance-make-federal-forest-policy-work-oregon,Greg Walden: This is our chance to make federal forest policy work for Oregon,2013-04-11,2013,2013-04,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden: This is our chance to make federal forest policy work for Oregon  Walden testifies at House Natural Resources Committee hearing on long-term solution for O&C counties  Click here to watch Rep. Walden's testimony   WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulations about a long-term, O&C lands proposal he developed with Oregon Reps. Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader. For a full statement from Reps. Walden, DeFazio, and Schrader, pldease see below. For Rep. Walden's full testimony he submitted to the record, please click here.  Excerpt from Rep. Walden's testimony This is an important and timely hearing, and I'm encouraged by the Committee's keen interest in identifying long-term solutions for our federal forest counties and the hardworking people who live there. It's clear the status quo isn't working. We need to get our rural communities working again. Momentum is building for changefrom county commission chambers to the committee rooms of the state legislature to the halls of Congress. We can do this. We can put people back to work in the woods. We can create prosperous communities and healthy forests. We can provide certainty for teachers and law enforcement officers. We can better manage our forests. This is our opportunity to make federal forest policy work for Oregon and our county and I look forward to being a part of this effort. Full Statement from Reps. Walden, DeFazio, and Schrader  DEFAZIO-WALDEN-SCHRADER O&C PLAN TAKES MAJOR STEP FORWARD Proposal would create thousands of jobs, provide stable funding to O&C counties WASHINGTON, DC Today, the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to discuss a bipartisan legislative proposal from Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-Springfield), Greg Walden (R-Hood River), and Kurt Schrader (D-Canby). The plan would create thousands of private sector jobs in Oregon, provide stable funding for failing Oregon counties, and protect old growth and important places while saving the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars. The Committee heard testimony from all three sponsors of the plan; Douglas County Commissioner Doug Robertson, chairman of the Association of O&C Counties; and Tom Tuchman, forestry adviser to Governor John Kitzhaber. Legislative hearings are generally required before bills are voted on by the committee and the full U.S. House of Representatives. This hearing signals that this is a serious plan that is being taken seriously by the U.S. House of Representatives, DeFazio, Walden, and Schrader said in a joint statement. Any plan that would create thousands of private sector jobs, provide revenues to help failing rural Oregon counties, protect sensitive public lands, and that save the federal government $1 billion is worth considering. Today we had a serious, robust conversation about a realistic solution to the O&C crisis. This proposal isn't perfect, but we must move forward with specific legislative ideas before these failing Oregon counties become insolvent. We look forward to working with the Governor and the counties to incorporate changes discussed today, and we are pleased that the House took this needed first step. Right now, several counties in Oregon are approaching insolvency and will not be able to provide basic state-mandated services to its residents  such as law enforcement. Many of these counties have real unemployment at or above 20 percent. Poverty is widespread and crippling. Consider, for example, that in Josephine and Jackson counties alone more than 65,000 people  or one out of every five people in the two counties including children  are on food stamps. Last February, DeFazio, Walden and Schrader offered a realistic, bipartisan legislative proposal to help solve the O&C problems. Their proposal would create jobs, provide revenues to failing Oregon counties, help sustain the local manufacturing base, save the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars, and protect water, fish, and old growth. Their bipartisan solution would designate a certain set of lands previously managed timber stands  for sustainable timber production to be managed by a public board and under federal laws as they apply to private and state forests. The rest of the O&C Lands  old growth and sensitive lands would be transferred to the Forest Service and set aside for conservation. All lands would remain public, in federal ownership.That proposal was discussed in today's hearing. The proposal secured broad support across the state, including: the Oregon House, Oregon Senate, fifteen county boards of commissioners, the Oregon State Sheriffs Association, and labor and industry groups. Today's hearing was secured after DeFazio, Walden, and Schrader sent a letter to Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA) requesting substantive and open discussion about long-term solutions for the statutorily unique O&C lands. The hearing is available on DeFazio's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/PeterDeFazio A clip of DeFazio, Walden, and Schrader's opening statements can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZDpCx5TFm4 A clip of the panel's testimony and questions can be found here: https://youtu.be/8r8cMaSDFMc",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walden-defazio-secure-hearing-long-term-oc-lands-solution,"Walden, DeFazio Secure Hearing for Long-Term, O&C Lands Solution",2013-04-04,2013,2013-04,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"WALDEN, DEFAZIO SECURE HEARING FOR LONG-TERM, O&C LANDS SOLUTIONWASHINGTON, DCToday, Reps. Greg Walden (R-Hood Rive) and Peter DeFazio (D-Springfield) announced that the House Natural Resources Committee will conduct a hearing on a long-term bipartisan solution for the O&C lands on Thursday, April 11, 2013.The hearing was secured after DeFazio, Walden, and Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Canby) sent a letter to Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA) requesting substantive and open discussion about long-term solutions for the statutorily unique O&C lands.One thing is clear: the status quo isn't working for our rural communities. There's a better way. Our forests need to be managed so we can put people back to work in the woods, create healthy forests and communities, and provide certainty for essential local services like schools and law enforcement. Momentum for changing federal forest policy has been building in Oregon's counties, the legislature, and in Congress. We now have a historic opportunity to get this done now, and we look forward to being a part of this effort, Walden said. Some counties in western Oregon are on the brink of bankruptcy and are considering insolvency, or turning over their responsibilities to the state. If Congress fails to act, these counties will dissolve. We need to work towards a long-term solution, and we need to do it today. There is no excuse for inaction or delay. We are pleased that Chairman Hastings has recognized this urgency by granting our request for a hearing in the House and look forward to offering our long-term, bipartisan legislative proposal as a possible solution to create jobs and provide predictability to these struggling counties, said DeFazio.Last February, DeFazio, Walden and Schrader offered a realistic, bipartisan legislative proposal to help solve the O&C problems. Their proposal would create jobs, provide revenues to failing Oregon counties, help sustain the local manufacturing base, save the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars, and protect water, fish, and old growth. That proposal will be discussed in the upcoming hearing.The proposal secured broad support across the state, including: the Oregon House, Oregon Senate, fifteen county boards of commissioners, the Oregon State Sheriffs Association, and labor and industry groups.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-hold-town-hall-meetings-discuss-veteran-and-national-guard,"Greg Walden to hold town hall meetings, discuss veteran and National Guard issues, and tour data center this weekend",2013-03-18,2013,2013-03,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden to hold town hall meetings, discuss veteran and National Guard issues, and tour data center this weekend Town hall meetings in Lakeview and Burns will be 43rd and 44th in just over a year MEDFORD - U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) will travel to Jackson, Klamath, Lake, Harney, and Crook counties beginning on Friday for town hall meetings, visits with veteran and active duty groups, and a tour of a central Oregon data center. Town hall meetings in Lake and Harney counties are yet another opportunity for me to keep my to do' list fresh as I work on finding solutions for local problems here at home. This trip, I will also focus on caring for our veterans and active duty military, building our technology-based economy, and improving management of our federal forests, said Rep. Walden. With the Lake and Harney county town hall meetings, Rep. Walden will have held town hall meetings in all 20 counties of the Second Congressional District since January 1. They will mark the 43rd and 44th town hall meetings in just over a year. Friday, March 22, 2013 What:Tour of Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics (SORCC)When:9:15 am- 10:30 am  Where: Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics (SORCC), 8495 Crater Lake Highway, White City  Details: Rep. Walden will meet with Don Burman, the new director of the SORCC, and discuss efforts to help ensure health care access for rural veterans. What:Meeting with Kingsley Field Command Team and Tour of Control TowerWhen:12:30 pm- 2:00 pm  Where: 6775 Arnold Avenue, Klamath Falls  Details: Rep. Walden will meet with Colonel Jeremy Baenen, the 173rd Fighter Wing's new commander, and members of his team to discuss the consequences of the FAA's proposal to shut down the air control tower that is used jointly by the Klamath Falls airport and Kingsley Field. What:Lake County Town Hall MeetingWhen:4:30 pm- 5:30 pm  Where: Lake County Courthouse, 513 Center Street, Lakeview Saturday, March 23, 2013 What:Harney County Town Hall MeetingWhen:8:30 am- 9:30 am  Where: Harney County Senior Center, 17 S. Alder Avenue, Burns What:Tour of Facebook Data CenterWhen:12:30 pm- 2:00 pm  Where: 735 SW Connect Way, Prineville  Details: As chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Rep. Walden has focused on unleashing innovation and creating jobs in the technology sector in Oregon.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-consumers-deserve-know-why-their-health-insurance-costs-are,Greg Walden: Consumers deserve to know why their health insurance costs are going up,2013-03-14,2013,2013-03,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden: Consumers deserve to know why their health insurance costs are going up  Introduces Patients' Right to Know Act that requires health insurers provide consumers with a line-by-line summary of how new taxes in the health care law are affecting their premiums  March 14, 2013 Click here or on the image below to watch Rep. Walden's video statement WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today introduced a bill to empower consumers by giving them more information about rising health insurance premiums. If the federal government is going to play such a big role in our health care going forward, we have the right to know just how much it costs us. The Patients' Right to Know Act' will require health insurers to provide consumers with a line-by-line summary of how the new health care law's taxes and fees are impacting their insurance premiums, Rep. Walden said. During the debate over the health care law, then-Speaker Pelosi said we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it. Well, it's law. Consumers deserve the right to know how much of their premium is attributable to the nearly trillion dollars in taxes associated with the new health care law, Rep. Walden said. Click here to read the text of Rep. Walden's bill. The new health care lawthe Affordable Care Actis expected to raise health insurance premiums for Oregonians who buy their own health insurance coverage or receive it from their small employer. According to a study commissioned by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber last year, premiums for those individuals will go up an average of 38 percent. While premiums for some Oregonians will decrease, they will rise by about 70 percent for more than one third of those in the individual market (Click here to read the report). According to a recent Congressional report, premiums in the individual market are expected to rise by 27 percent to 55 percent in Oregon due to the health care law (Click here to read the report). Tomorrow, the House Energy and Commerce Committeeof which Rep. Walden is a senior memberwill hold a hearing entitled Unaffordable: Impact of Obamacare on Americans' Health Insurance Premiums. Rep. Walden's bill will be discussed as the committee begins to consider this common-sense legislation. Click here for more information. This legislation is just one way that Rep. Walden and his colleagues are analyzing the health care law's true impact on patients, providers, small businesses, and families. Next week, Rep. Walden's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will explore how FDA regulations and taxes could impact innovation in mobile applications and devices. Click here for more information on that hearing.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/part-all-above-energy-strategy-greg-walden-supports-bipartisan,"As part of an ""all of the above"" energy strategy, Greg Walden supports bipartisan hydropower bill",2013-02-13,2013,2013-02,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bipartisan legislation overwhelmingly passes the U.S. House, streamlines permitting process for nation's largest renewable electricity source    WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today supported the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act, which unanimously passed the U.S. House today. I was proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan, job-creating bill that's part of an all of the above' energy strategy. Even though 75 percent of electricity in the Pacific Northwest already comes from hydropower and several new projects have come online in central Oregon in recent years, we can do more. The plan passed today will help facilitate the development of new hydropower by reducing red tape and streamlining the permitting process for new projects. New hydropower development has the potential to produce thousands of megawatts of affordable power and create thousands of American jobs in the process. I'll continue to work across the aisle to increase the supply of affordable energy and create good, stable American jobs, Rep. Walden said. The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act (HR 267) was introduced by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.). Rep. Walden was one of nine original cosponsors of the bill and helped usher it through the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill now heads to the Senate. A similar bill was passed overwhelmingly in the House last year, but was not considered by the Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-we-need-more-jobs-less-debt,"Greg Walden: We need more jobs, less debt",2013-02-12,2013,2013-02,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"My focus is on getting our economy going again and balancing the budget. Click here or on the image below to watch Rep. Walden's video response    WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to the President's State of the Union Address: In over forty town hall meetings in just over a year, I've heard from hardworking taxpayers throughout Oregon that they want good jobs that pay the bills, that they are concerned about health insurance premiums going up, not down, and they are worried about the government borrowing and spending so much. I'm disappointed that the President didn't do more tonight to extend an olive branch to work with Congress to solve the country's problems. Instead, he doubled down on his agenda from the past four years: more spending, more debt, higher taxes, and a bigger federal government more involved in our lives than ever before. This approach has not produced a strong economy or the kind of family-wage jobs that Americans need and deserve. The federal government must stop throwing up barriers to job creation and learn to live within a budget. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-announces-plans-introduce-rural-health-care-bill,Greg Walden announces plans to introduce rural health care bill,2013-02-08,2013,2013-02,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"In Hood River, Walden visits Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital about need for legislation to allow small hospitals to provide better care for patients February 8, 2013  HOOD RIVER U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) is in Hood River today to visit with Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital CEO Ed Freysinger about legislation he is writing to provide better health care at rural hospitals. The Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act would give rural hospitals greater flexibility in complying with federal regulations so they can better meet the needs of patients in rural areas. Currently, federal regulations limit the number of patients per day in so-called Critical Access Hospitals (CAH). One requirement to be designated as a CAH is that a rural hospital cannot admit more than 25 patients per day. It's rare, but when a CAH reaches this cap, it is simply forced to turn away patients, transfer them to another location at greater expense, remove individuals from occupied beds, or exercise any other option that limits its ability to focus on what it should be doing  providing patient care. As someone who served five years on the board of the hospital I'm visiting today, I know the challenges community hospitals face with federal government red tape that prevents them from properly caring for patients. No one should ever be turned away from a hospital because of a bureaucratic barrier, and no hospital should have to be faced with such a decision. I am again working with Senator Ron Wyden to write legislation to provide flexibility for small, rural health care so patients can get the care they need in the community where they live. We will formally introduce it in Congress soon, and it's helpful to have the input of health care providers like Hood River Memorial, Rep. Walden said. The legislation being written by Rep. Walden would allow CAHs to choose to either meet the current 25 patient per day limit or a limit of 20 patients per day averaged throughout the year. This modest degree of flexibility would not interfere with the integrity of Medicare's CAH program which has served small rural communities well since its creation. Rather, it would permit CAHs to better address situations like seasonal fluctuations in resort areas, flu season, unforeseen accidents, and anything else that might arise and hinder a hospital's ability to provide patient care. This week, Mr. Freysinger wrote to Rep. Walden to support the legislation. On behalf of Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, I want to offer our endorsement of the Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2013. This proposed legislation would allow small, remote hospitals to provide important acute care services to rural communities across the country, Mr. Freysinger wrote. Click here to read a copy of the letter. In Hood River, we are challenged with the current CAH 25-bed limit during time of increased patient need, such as significant population increases during tourism season, influenza endemics, and limited ability to transfer patients in severe weather, Mr. Freysinger continued. The legislation is intended to benefit the 11 other CAH's in central, southern, and eastern Oregon, which in addition to Providence Hood River Memorial, include:  Heppner: Pioneer Memorial Hospital  Hermiston: Good Shepherd Medical Center  Pendleton: St. Anthony Hospital  La Grande: Grande Ronde Hospital  Enterprise: Wallowa Memorial Hospital  Baker City: St. Alphonsus Medical Center  John Day: Blue Mountain Hospital  Madras: Mountain View Hospital  Prineville: Pioneer Memorial Hospital  Burns: Harney District Hospital  Lakeview: Lake District Hospital",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-demands-answers-administration-surprise-cuts-last-oc-payment,Greg Walden demands answers from Administration on surprise cuts to the last O&C payment to Oregon counties,2013-02-06,2013,2013-02,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"February 6, 2013 Instead of cutting funding, we should be cutting trees, Walden says WASHINGTONU.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) has demanded answers from the Interior Department and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) about a decision to apply a 10 percent cut to last year's county payment that Congress authorized and funded for 18 Oregon and California Railroad (O&C) counties in western and southern Oregon, including Josephine, Jackson, and Klamath. This surprising raid on O&C funds by Interior or OMB is outrageous and unacceptable, and you must reverse it quickly before the payments are finalized and sent to the state for distribution to the counties. I understand that this may happen this week, so your rapid action is needed, Rep. Walden wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and OMB Director Jeffrey Zients. Instead of cutting funding, we should be cutting trees. Our federally-forested communities are demanding that Congress act to provide certainty of timber harvests which will put people back to work in the woods. The impact of a 10 percent cut on counties who are already in a death spiral due to the lack of any meaningful production from our forests only underscores the need to get back to work in the woods which will grow healthy communities. Already, counties don't have the resources to keep sheriff officers on the streets and criminals in jail, to run their local governments and schools, or to maintain their roads. Creating jobs in the woods for police, teachers, and healthy local communities makes sense to me, said Rep. Walden. Within the past week, Rep. Walden has learned that either OMB or Interior Department officials decided to apply this cut to the one-year extension of county payments provided by Congress last year. While pointing to OMB as the responsible party, the Interior Department officials reasoned that the cuts were caused by across-the-board spending cuts set to go into effect. However, these payments to O&C counties are from the 2012 federal budgetary fiscal year, which is not subject to the across-the-board cuts. In January, the Forest Service provided its portion of the county payments to states without such problems. Furthermore, Congress has already delayed the impacts of the across-the-board cuts for a short period this year, so they have still not taken effect. Since hearing of this plan last week, Rep. Walden has attempted to get answers from Interior and OMB about this surprising decision. This letter was sent on Tuesday in order to make top Administration leaders personally aware of this situation. For a full copy of the letter, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/full-schedule-greg-walden-hold-town-hall-meetings-central-eastern-and,"FULL SCHEDULE: Greg Walden to hold town hall meetings in central, eastern, and southern Oregon",2013-01-23,2013,2013-01,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"FULL SCHEDULE: Greg Walden to hold town hall meetings in central, eastern, and southern Oregon  Nine day trip with eight town hall meetings throughout Second District kicks off in Prineville on Thursday January 23, 2013 PRINEVILLE - U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) will hold town hall meetings in central and eastern Oregon this week, kicking off a nine day trip throughout the Second District with town hall meetings in eight counties, including Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Union, Wallowa, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties. While the Congress and the country face difficult choices about reducing the debt and growing our economy, I'm also working on finding solutions for local problems here at home. Providing enough water and power for job creation, unleashing innovation in the technology sector, improving management of our federal forests, and taking care of those who wear or have worn our nation's uniform remain priorities for me, said Rep. Walden. By Feb. 1, Rep. Walden will have held town hall meetings in 16 of the 20 counties in the Second District. Last year, Rep. Walden held 24 town hall meetings, at least one in each of the 20 counties.  Thursday, January 24, 2013 What:Speak to Prineville Kiwanis Club  When:12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m.  Where: Meadow Lakes Golf Club, 300 SW Meadow Lakes Drive, Prineville  What:Crook County Town HallMeeting  When:2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.  Where: Prineville Senior Center, 180 NE Belknap Street, Prineville  What:Deschutes County Town HallMeeting  When:5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.  Where: Bend Senior Center, 1600 SE Reed Market Road, Bend Note: Rep. Walden will be joined by special guests state Sen. Tim Knopp and state Reps. Gene Whisnant and Jason Conger.  Friday, January 25, 2013 What:Meeting with Advantage Dental  When:10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.   Where:442 SW Umatilla Ave. #200, Redmond  What:Lunch with Sisters Community Leaders  When:12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.   Where:Bronco Billy's, 190 East Cascade Avenue, Sisters  What:Meeting with OSU-Cascades  When:2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.   Where:Graduate and Research Center, Room 138, 650 SW Columbia, Bend  What:Redmond Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting  When:6:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.   Where:Eagle Crest, 1522 Cline Falls Road, Redmond  Saturday, January 26, 2013 What:Jefferson County Town HallMeeting  When:8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.  Where:Madras Senior Center, 860 SW Madison, Madras  What:Union County Town Hall Meeting When:4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.   Where:La Grande Public Library Community Room, 2006 Fourth Street, La Grande  What:La Grande Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Big Game Banquet  When:6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Where:Blue Mountain Conference Center, 404 12th Street, La Grande  Sunday, January 27, 2013  What:Wallowa County Town Hall Meeting When:2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.   Where:Community Connections Building, 702 NW First Street, Enterprise  What:Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce Citizen Awards Banquet  When:4:00 p.m.  7:30 p.m. Where:Cloverleaf Hall, 668 First Street, Enterprise  Monday, January 28, 2013  What:Speak to Enterprise High School Civics Class  When:8:00 a.m.- 9:00 a.m. Where:201 Southeast 4th Street, Enterprise  What:Speak to Pendleton Rotary When:12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m. Where:14 SE 3rd Street, Pendleton  What:Tour of New St. Anthony's Hospital Construction Site  When:1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.  Tuesday, January 29, 2013 What:Jackson County Town Hall Meeting When:10:00 a.m.  11:00 a.m.  Where: Jackson County Library, 205 S. Central, Medford  Wednesday, January 30, 2013 What:Josephine County Town Hall Meeting When:2:00 p.m.  3:00 p.m.  Where: Anne Basker Auditorium, 500 SW 6th Street, Grants Pass  Thursday, January 31, 2013 What:Klamath County Town Hall Meeting When:9:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m. Where: Oregon Institute of Technology, Mt. Mazama Room, College Union Building, 3210 Campus Drive, Klamath Falls",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-if-congress-doesnt-do-its-work-it-shouldnt-be-paid,"Greg Walden: If Congress doesn't do its work, it shouldn't be paid",2013-01-23,2013,2013-01,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden: If Congress doesn't do its work, it shouldn't be paid  U.S. House passes No Budget, No Pay plan with Walden's support   WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today issued the following statement upon House passage of the No Budget, No Pay plan: In our part of Oregon, families sit down around the kitchen table and figure out how to balance their budget. It's time for Washington, D.C. to do the same. If hardworking taxpayers don't do their jobs, they don't get paid. Congress needs to live by the same rulesno budget, no pay. While the House has passed a budget each of the last two years, the Senate has failed to do so in nearly four. The last time the Senate passed a budgetin 2009the iPad hadn't even been invented yet! The federal government must write a responsible budget to get our fiscal house in order. Only then will we be able to create a good strong American economy where people can get a job that pays the bills. The No Budget, No Pay plan withholds pay from members of the House and Senate if their chamber does not pass a budget by April 15. The measure also temporarily suspends the debt ceiling for three months to set up a broader debate about responsible spending.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-condemns-terrorist-attack-algeria,Greg Walden condemns terrorist attack in Algeria,2013-01-21,2013,2013-01,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden condemns terrorist attack in Algeria  Baker County resident Gordon Rowan among three Americans who lost their lives  January 21, 2013  WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today condemned the terrorist attack in Algeria, which claimed three Americans, including Baker County resident Gordon Rowan: I am deeply saddened to learn that Gordon Rowan, of Sumpter, was among those killed in the horrific terrorist attack in Algeria. I strongly condemn this attack on innocent civilians. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. This is another reminder of the threat America faces from radical extremists around the globe. Throughout the week, I've been in close touch with the State Department and the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees in the House to learn more about the attack and the fate of the Americans there, including Gordon Rowan. I pledge to work with the Administration and the committees in the House to gain a better understanding of what took place during the attack in Algeria so that we can better protect Americans at home and abroad.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-hold-town-hall-meetings-central-and-eastern-oregon,Greg Walden to hold town hall meetings in central and eastern Oregon,2013-01-20,2013,2013-01,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden to hold town hall meetings in central and eastern Oregon Nine day trip with eight town hall meetings throughout Second District kicks off in Prineville on Thursday January 23, 2013 PRINEVILLE - U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) will hold town hall meetings in central and eastern Oregon this week, kicking off a nine day trip throughout the Second District with town hall meetings in eight counties, including Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Union, Wallowa, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties. While the Congress and the country face difficult choices about reducing the debt and growing our economy, I'm also working on finding solutions for local problems here at home. Providing enough water and power for job creation, unleashing innovation in the technology sector, improving management of our federal forests, and taking care of those who wear or have worn our nation's uniform remain priorities for me, said Rep. Walden. By Feb. 1, Rep. Walden will have held town hall meetings in 16 of the 20 counties in the Second District. Last year, Rep. Walden held 24 town hall meetings, at least one in each of the 20 counties. Details on additional events, including the other town hall meetings, will be announced as they are finalized.  Thursday, January 24, 2013 What:Speak to Prineville Kiwanis Club  When:12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m.  Where: Meadow Lakes Golf Club, 300 SW Meadow Lakes Drive, Prineville   What:Crook County Town HallMeeting  When:2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.  Where: Prineville Senior Center, 180 NE Belknap Street, Prineville  What:Deschutes County Town HallMeeting  When:5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.  Where: Bend Senior Center, 1600 SE Reed Market Road, Bend Note: Rep. Walden will be joined by special guests state Sen. Tim Knopp and state Reps. Gene Whisnant and Jason Conger.  Friday, January 25, 2013  What:Meeting with Advantage Dental  When:10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.   Where:442 SW Umatilla Ave. #200, Redmond  What:Lunch with Sisters Community Leaders  When:12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.   Where:Bronco Billy's, 190 East Cascade Avenue, Sisters  What:Meeting with OSU-Cascades  When:2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.   Where:Graduate and Research Center, Room 138, 650 SW Columbia, Bend  What:Redmond Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting  When:6:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.   Where:Eagle Crest, 1522 Cline Falls Road, Redmond   Saturday, January 26, 2013  What:Jefferson County Town HallMeeting  When:8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.  Where:Madras Senior Center, 860 SW Madison, Madras  What:Union County Town Hall Meeting When:4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.   Where:La Grande Public Library Community Room, 2006 Fourth Street, La Grande  What:La Grande Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Big Game Banquet  When:6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Where:Blue Mountain Conference Center, 404 12th Street, La Grande  Sunday, January 27, 2013  What:Wallowa County Town Hall Meeting When:2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.   Where:Community Connections Building, 702 NW First Street, Enterprise  What:Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce Citizen Awards Banquet  When:4:00 p.m.  7:30 p.m. Where:Cloverleaf Hall, 668 First Street, Enterprise  Monday, January 28, 2013  What:Speak to Enterprise High School Civics Class  When:8:00 a.m.- 9:00 a.m. Where:201 Southeast 4th Street, Enterprise  What:Speak to Pendleton Rotary When:12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m. Where:14 SE 3rd Street, Pendleton  What:Tour of New St. Anthony's Hospital Construction Site  When:1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-introduces-stop-coin-act-says-now-time-get-serious-about,"Greg Walden introduces Stop the Coin Act, says now is the time to get serious about real debt reduction",2013-01-14,2013,2013-01,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden introduces Stop the Coin Act, says now is the time to get serious about real debt reduction Legislation will permanently take trillion dollar platinum coin gimmick off the table January 14, 2013 WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today officially introduced the Stop the Coin Act to take the trillion dollar platinum coin gimmick off the table once and for all so that Washington can get serious about real debt reduction. Reducing our debt can't be done with a magic wandor a magic coin. For weeks, some in Congress have been advocating use of a gimmick to circumvent the debt ceiling. The Administration refused to rule the idea out until last weekend. What took them so long? My bill today will permanently close the coin loophole so that Washington can get serious about real debt reduction, Rep. Walden said. The Stop the Coin Act will remove the Secretary's authority to issue a coin of platinum or any other material with a face value greater than $200, thus ending speculation about the trillion dollar coin gimmick. Click here for the full text of the bill and here for a summary of the legislation. On January 7, Rep. Walden announced plans to introduce the Stop the Coin Act to close the trillion dollar platinum coin loophole. Last week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney repeatedly refused to rule out use of the gimmick to get around the debt ceiling. Meanwhile, the Senate Democratic Leadership, including Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), wrote to the President to urge him to circumvent the debt ceiling through any means necessary. On January 12, the Treasury Department finally ruled out using the coin gimmick to get around the debt ceiling. Rep. Walden was joined by 14 other members of the U.S. House in introducing the legislation, including Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.), Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.), Rep. George Holding (R-N.C.), Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), Rep. Kristi Noem (R-N.D.), Rep. Richard Nugent (R-Fla.), Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.), Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.), and Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-hold-eight-town-hall-meetings-gorge-and-northeastern-oregon,Greg Walden to hold eight town hall meetings in the Gorge and northeastern Oregon this week,2013-01-08,2013,2013-01,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"Greg Walden to hold eight town hall meetings in the Gorge and northeastern Oregon this week   Five day, 571-mile swing kicks off in The Dalles this morning  THE DALLES- U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) will hold town hall meetings in eight counties in Oregon this week, beginning in The Dalles this (Monday) morning at the Columbia Gorge Community College. He will also hold town hall meetings in Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Grant, Umatilla, Morrow, and Hood River counties this week (full details below).  Rep. Walden will discuss his efforts to provide tax relief for Oregon families and small businesses, grow our economy, reduce spending, and balance the budget. Residents will also have the opportunity to ask questions and give their input for Rep. Walden's to do list to take back to Washington, D.C.  These will be the first town hall meetings of 2013. Last year, Rep. Walden held 24 town hall meetings in the 20 counties in Oregon's Second District.  While the Congress and the country are facing very difficult, but very important choices going forward, here at home there are many local issues that I'm focused on, as well. Expanding access to broadband in rural areas, boosting our farm and ranch economies, improving management of our federal forests, and taking care of those who wearor who have wornour nation's uniform remain priorities for me, said Rep. Walden.  Monday, January 7, 2013   What:Wasco County Town HallMeeting  When:10:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. Where: Columbia Gorge Community College, 400 E. Scenic Drive, The Dalles  Tuesday, January 8, 2013   What:Sherman County Town HallMeeting When:12:00 p.m.  1:00 p.m. Where:Sherman County Public School Library Program Room, 65912 High School Loop, Moro  What: Gilliam County Town HallMeeting When:3:00 p.m.  4:00 p.m. Where:Veteran's Memorial Hall, 120 S. Main, Condon  Wednesday, January 9, 2013  What:Wheeler County Town HallMeeting  When:10:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. Where:Fossil School, 404 Main Street, Fossil  What:Grant County Town HallMeeting When:5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. Where:Mt. Vernon Community Building, Mt. Vernon  Thursday, January 10, 2013  What:Umatilla County Town HallMeeting When: 2:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. Where:Hermiston Convention Center, 415 S. Hwy. 395, Hermiston  What:Morrow County Town HallMeeting When: 4:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. Where:Port of Morrow, 2 Marine Dr., Boardman  Friday, January 11, 2013  What:Hood River County Town HallMeeting When: 8:00 a.m.- 9:00 a.m. Where: Hood River Senior Center, 2010 Sterling Place, Hood River",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-plans-introduce-bill-stop-us-treasury-creating-trillion,Greg Walden plans to introduce bill to stop U.S. Treasury from creating trillion dollar platinum coins to pay bills and expand debt,2013-01-07,2013,2013-01,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"January 7, 2013 THE DALLES, Ore.  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today announced plans to introduce a bill to stop a proposal to mint high-value platinum coins to pay the federal government's bills. Some people are in denial about the need to reduce spending and balance the budget. This scheme to mint trillion dollar platinum coins is absurd and dangerous, and would be laughable if the proponents weren't so serious about it as a solution. I'm introducing a bill to stop it in its tracks, Rep. Walden said. My wife and I have owned and operated a small business since 1986. When it came time to pay the bills, we couldn't just mint a coin to create more money out of thin air. We sat down and figured out how to balance the books. That's what Washington needs to do as well. My bill will take the coin scheme off the table by disallowing the Treasury to mint platinum coins as a way to pay down the debt. We must reduce spending and get our fiscal house in order, Rep. Walden said. Within the last week, numerous media reports (example here) have suggested that the U.S. Mint could create trillion dollar platinum coins, which would then be deposited into the Federal Reserve to be used to pay the federal government's bills or avoid hitting the debt ceiling. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, touted the proposal last week (story here). New York Times columnist and Princeton professor Paul Krugman suggested the idea in an article as well (click here). Other leaders in Washington, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, have urged the President to raise the debt limit unilaterally without permission from Congress. Representative Walden, a member of the House Republican leadership, represents the Second District of Oregon, which includes 20 counties in the southern, central and eastern regions of the state.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-votes-permanently-extend-tax-relief-oregon-families-and,Greg Walden votes to permanently extend tax relief for Oregon families and small businesses,2013-01-01,2013,2013-01,Republican,House,OR,Greg Walden,W000791,walden.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) issued the following statement on House passage of a plan to prevent a tax increase for 99 percent of taxpayers and stop the government from going over the fiscal cliff: Tonight the House passed a plan to permanently extend tax relief for Oregon families and small businesses and to stop our government from going over the fiscal cliff. The plan isn't perfect, but I would not sit by as taxes go up on all Americans, including more than $3,000 this year for the average Oregon family. I didn't come to Washington to see taxes go up on middle income Americans, and we acted to stop that permanently. The plan passed tonight locks into place current tax rates for middle class families as our economy continues to struggle. It permanently holds down the death tax for small business owners, farmers, and ranchers. It permanently patches the alternative minimum tax (AMT) and extends the higher child tax credit. The plan does away with a new entitlement program created in Obamacare, and stops the President from giving members of Congress a pay increase as the President proposed. Finally, it extends the existing farm bill for one year as Congress works on a new long-term farm bill. Now that tax relief has been extended, it's time for the President to work with Congress to getour nation's fiscal house in order by addressing the underlying problem, which is spending. The national debt is currently $16 trillion and climbing, over $50,000 for every American. We must cut spending and grow our economy to avoid passing on an even bigger debt burden to our children and grandchildren.  Summary of the American Taxpayer Relief Act Tax Policy  Marginal rates: Permanent extension of current policy up to $400,000 for singles, $450,000 for married couples.  Capital Gains & Dividends: Makes permanent 15% top capital gains and dividends rate up to $400,000 for singles, $450,000 for married couples; 20% rate for both above that threshold.  Death Tax: Permanent extension of current policy with a $5 million exemption indexed for inflation and a 40% top rate.  Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT):Permanently indexes the AMT for inflation.  Spending Policy  Debt limit: No increase in the debt limit.  Sequester arbitrary spending cuts: sequester is turned off for two months and paid for by a combination of other spending cuts and revenue increases.  CLASS Act: Repeals a flawed new entitlement program created in Obamacare which even the Obama Administration admitted was totally unsustainable after the bill was rushed to passage.  Doc Fix: One year extension of current policy that stops a drastic cut to Medicare payments for health care providers.  Unemployment insurance: 1 year extension of current extended weeks of UI.  Farm Bill: Provides for a one year extension of the 2008 farm bill at no additional cost to the taxpayer.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z