Hello,
Children’s Health Insurance Must Get Funded
More than 122,000 Oregon children and pregnant women rely on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to make sure they get the care they need. I’ve always supported this program, and as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee authored the legislation to provide the most generous funding for CHIP in its history. My bipartisan legislation passed the U.S. House last fall, but unfortunately, they could not put together a bipartisan agreement in the Senate. Short-term extensions have kept the program going and money flowing to the states; but this is NO way to operate.
I’ve continued to do all I can to find a path forward, and I believe we will succeed next week when Congress returns after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. I’m again proposing an extension of the program, and given some budget forecast changes as a result of the recently passed tax reform measure, we can now fully fund the CHIP program for six years, rather than five. This plan is both the most generous and longest extension of CHIP since it was created.
Stay tuned. I’ll continue to update you as this moves forward.
Recap of 2017 Shows Surprising Amount of Work Got Done
As the New Year kicks off, it is important to reflect on the productive year we had in 2017 for Oregon and America. Last year, we passed 477 bills out of the House -- more than under the Obama, Clinton, and both Bush administrations. We passed landmark reforms for our veterans, gave our military the tools they need to keep us safe, rolled back costly regulations, and passed the first major overhaul of our tax code in more than 30 years.
Now that Congress is back in session, I look forward to continuing this steady legislative pace in the year ahead. Please continue reading to learn more about the successes from last year, recent meetings I held in Oregon, and the inspiring students I’ve nominated to our nation's service academies.
2017 -- Year in Review
In 2017, I was proud to continue my work serving Oregonians in Congress and getting results for veterans having trouble with the VA and everyday Oregonians having problems with other federal agencies. Last year, I assisted 1,200 individual Oregonians with casework issues, including 500 veterans and military service members and 122 Oregonians with their Social Security and Medicare Benefits.
In Congress, I was proud to lead the Oregon House delegation with 23 bills passed through the House of Representatives and five pieces of legislation sent to the President’s desk. This includes important legislation to support our military and veterans, protect Oregon’s treasured public lands, modernize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and improve forest management to prevent catastrophic wildfires from choking Oregon’s skies with smoke.
To read my full year in review, and learn more about my top seven legislative wins for Oregon in 2017, please click here.
Protecting Mt. Hood and Local Water Source
Click here to view my remarks
Just this week the President signed into law bipartisan legislation I authored with my fellow Oregonians Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to protect Mt. Hood and Crystal Springs, the local water source for communities in the surrounding area. The Mt. Hood-Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act passed the House of Representatives early last year on a 415-1 vote, and passed the Senate in December. I’ve worked closely over the years with Rep. Earl Blumenauer to protect Oregon’s public lands around Mt. Hood, and I’m glad to continue that work together on this new law.
Hiking around Mt. Hood with Rep. Blumenauer in 2005. Our plan will help protect this Oregon treasure for generations to come.
This is the final piece in a decade-long effort to protect the upper Hood River Valley. We passed legislation in 2009 to provide important protections for Mt. Hood -- a treasure to all Oregonians. This ensures that these lands will be transferred and if development occurs it will be in Government Camp, where it belongs. This critical habitat and public land will now have long-term protections for generations to come. I am proud to have worked diligently with my colleagues and move this bipartisan bill forward in the Oregon Way. I applaud President Trump for signing this critical legislation into law.
To read more about this legislation from the Hood River News, please click here.
Touring the Portland Harbor Superfund Site
Officials from the Port of Portland, Northwest Natural and the state updated me on Superfund clean up efforts at the Portland Harbor Superfund site. The Energy and Commerce Committee, which I chair, oversees the EPA and the Superfund law.
Just last week, I toured the Portland Harbor Superfund site to get a firsthand look at this project and learn more about how we can move this complicated clean up forward. As a transportation hub for goods coming and going for much of the state, this clean up matters to all Oregonians.
As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I’ve been working closely with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to get this long-overdue clean up across the finish line. I recently held a hearing with Administrator Pruitt and received an update on the new approach his team is taking to this costly clean up.
Click here to learn more about our recent hearing with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt
Administrator Pruitt recently announced that we are making significant progress toward that goal. Cleaning up the Portland Harbor will have positive environmental and economic benefits for all Oregonians. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Administrator Pruitt to achieve the end result we’re all working towards -- a cleaned up Portland Harbor.
To read more about the EPA’s announcement, please click here.
Local Businesses Benefiting From Tax Reform
Steve Light of Freebridge Brewery in The Dalles says the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will save his small brewery money that he can use to help grow the company.
In The Dalles, I met with Steve and Laurie Light, owners of Freebrige Brewery to discuss how the first major overhaul of the tax code in more than 30 years will help them and other breweries in Oregon. The new law cuts the federal tax on beer in half for small breweries like theirs.
I worked hard to make sure this provision was included in the final plan that is now law. These savings will let Oregon’s craft brewers and winemakers reinvest more money locally in their businesses and our communities. Steve and Laurie’s story is not unique among the hundreds of craft breweries and small wineries in our state.
To learn more about what people in Oregon are saying about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, please click here.
Inspiring Young People Nominated to Our Nation’s Service Academies
Each year, I have the privilege of nominating inspiring young Oregonians to our nation’s prestigious service academies. Recently, I nominated 16 Oregon students who were recommended by my Service Academy Nomination Board -- retired military officers who interview potential candidates for the service academies -- based on their academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and character.
These students have earned these much-deserved nominations through years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to character. These students have shown a desire to grow intellectually, lead by example, and serve their country by pursuing a higher education at one of our country’s select service academies. I am confident that each will be successful in this admirable endeavor, and that America’s future is in good hands.
To learn more about these nominees, and how to apply for the service academies through my office, please click here.
That’s all for this update. Remember, you can always keep in touch with me via email, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
It is an honor to represent you in the U.S. Congress.
Best regards,
Greg Walden
U.S. Representative
Oregon's Second District
