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Former Member, 4-H Caucus
Member, Air Force Caucus
Former Member, Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine
Member, Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Member, Congressional Fire Services Institute
Former Member, Congressional Host Committee for the Volunteers of America Organization
Former Member, Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus
Member, Congressional Internet Caucus
Former Member, Congressional Manufactured Housing Caucus
Former Member, Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus
Former Member, Congressional National Parks Caucus
Former Member, Congressional Native American Caucus
Member, Congressional Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Caucus
Former Member, Congressional Real Estate Caucus
Former Member, Congressional Rural Caucus
Former Member, Congressional Sportsmens Caucus
Member, Congressional Wine Caucus
Member, Defense Study Group
Former Member, Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives
Member, Distributed Energy Caucus
Former Member, Energy and Commerce Committee, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Environment Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives
Member, House Army Caucus
Member, House Diabetes Caucus
Former Member, House Food Caucus
Former Member, House Homeland Security Caucus
Co-Chair, House Northwest Energy Caucus
Member, House Potato Caucus
Former Vice Chair, House Renewable Energy Caucus
Former Chair, House Republican Leadership
Former Co-Chair, House Small Brewers Caucus
Former Member, House Sugar Caucus
Member, House Taiwan Caucus
Member, National Environmental Policy Act Task Force
Member, Navy/Marine Corps Caucus
Former Co-Chair, Rural Health Care Coalition
Former Member, Speakers Task Force for a Drug Free America
Former Chair, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Energy, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Health (Energy and Commerce), United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Energy and Commerce), United States House of Representatives
Former Member, United Service Organizations (USO) Congressional Caucus
Member, Victory in Iraq Caucus
Former Member, Western Caucus
Member, 4-H Caucus
Member, Air Force Caucus
Member, Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine
Member, Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Member, Congressional Fire Services Institute
Member, Congressional Host Committee for the Volunteers of America Organization
Member, Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus
Member, Congressional Internet Caucus
Member, Congressional Manufactured Housing Caucus
Member, Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus
Member, Congressional National Parks Caucus
Member, Congressional Native American Caucus
Member, Congressional Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Caucus
Member, Congressional Real Estate Caucus
Member, Congressional Rural Caucus
Member, Congressional Sportsmens Caucus
Member, Congressional Wine Caucus
Member, Defense Study Group
Former Member, Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives
Member, Distributed Energy Caucus
Former Member, Environment Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives
Member, House Army Caucus
Member, House Diabetes Caucus
Member, House Food Caucus
Member, House Homeland Security Caucus
Co-Chair, House Northwest Energy Caucus
Member, House Potato Caucus
Vice Chair, House Renewable Energy Caucus
Former Chair, House Republican Leadership
Co-Chair, House Small Brewers Caucus
Member, House Sugar Caucus
Member, House Taiwan Caucus
Member, National Environmental Policy Act Task Force
Member, Navy/Marine Corps Caucus
Co-Chair, Rural Health Care Coalition
Member, Speakers Task Force for a Drug Free America
Former Chair, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Energy, United States House of Representatives
Member, United Service Organizations (USO) Congressional Caucus
Member, Victory in Iraq Caucus
Member, Western Caucus
Ranking Member, Energy and Commerce
Member, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
Member, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection & Commerce
Member, Subcommittee on Health (Energy and Commerce)
Member, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Energy and Commerce)
Astrological Sign:
Capricorn
— Awards:
Senior Legislative Achievement Award, The Seniors Coalition
Hero of the Taxpayer, Americans for Tax Reform
Legislator of the Year, National Association of Home Care
Oregon Person of the Year Award, Dorchester Conference
Spirit of Enterprise Award, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Champion of Small Business, Small Business Survival Committee
Distinguished Service Award, Forest Counties and Schools Coalition
Congressional Champion Award, National Association of Service and Conservation Corps
Champion Award, League of Private Property Owners
Friend of the Shareholder, American Shareholders Association
Guardian of Small Business, National Federal of Independent Business
Perfect Voter, Information Technology Industry
Benjamin Franklin Award, 60+ Association
Legislator of the Year, Central Oregon Visitors Association
Friend of the Farm Bureau, Oregon Farm Bureau
Legislator of the Year, Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Legislator of the Year, Oregon Association of Home Care
Thomas Jefferson Award, Food Distributors International
Legislator of the Year, Agriculture Retailers Association
1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life
1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No
2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- No
Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Unknown Position
1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No
2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes
1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Unknown Position
1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes
2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No
Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No
Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes
1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- Yes
2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No
Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Unknown Position
1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- Unknown Position
2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- Unknown Position
1. Abortions should always be legally available.
- No Answer
2. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer
3. Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer
4. Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer
5. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer
6. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
- No Answer
7. Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- X
8. Prohibit public funding of abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- X
9. Other
- No Answer
1. AIDS programs
- Maintain Status
2. Arts funding
- No Answer
3. Education (K-12)
- No Answer
4. Environmental programs
- No Answer
5. Foreign aid
- No Answer
6. Housing projects
- No Answer
7. Job training programs
- No Answer
8. Law enforcement
- No Answer
9. Medicaid
- No Answer
10. Medicare
- X
11. NASA
- No Answer
12. Student loan programs
- No Answer
13. Welfare
- No Answer
14. Other
- X
15. Armed Forces personnel training
- Slightly Increase
16. CIA appropriations
- Maintain Status
17. Defense plant conversion
- Maintain Status
18. Development of new weapons
- Maintain Status
19. Military hardware
- Slightly Increase
20. Military space shuttle missions
- Maintain Status
21. National Missile Defense Program
- Maintain Status
22. Pay for active duty personnel
- Slightly Increase
23. Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
- Yes
1. Social Security
- No Answer
2. Tax cuts
- X
3. Federal debt reduction
- X
1. Remove all legislative limits on campaign financing.
- No Answer
2. Establish spending limits on congressional campaigns.
- No Answer
3. Provide public funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
- No Answer
4. Support legislation that would increase the federal limits on individual contributions.
- No Answer
5. Strengthen and enforce legislation that encourages full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information.
- X
6. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer
7. Provide free or low-cost television advertising to candidates who agree to voluntary campaign spending limits.
- No Answer
8. Ban the unregulated campaign contributions known as soft money.
- X
9. Pass legislation banning issue advocacy commercials by outside groups within 60 days of an election.
- No Answer
10. Prohibit non-U.S. citizens from making contributions to federal campaigns.
- X
11. Other
- No Answer
1. Broaden use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- X
2. Increase spending to build more federal prisons.
- X
3. Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole.
- X
4. Fund programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- No Answer
5. Expand funding for community policing programs.
- No Answer
6. Increase penalties for the possession of any illegal firearms.
- X
7. Prosecute youths accused of a felony as adults.
- X
8. Increase funding for local Boys & Girls Clubs and other independent organizations in communities with at-risk youth.
- No Answer
9. Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
- No Answer
10. Deport all permanent resident aliens convicted of a felony.
- No Answer
11. Other
- No Answer
1. Increase penalties for selling illegal drugs.
- X
2. Impose mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- X
3. Impose capital punishment for convicted international drug traffickers.
- X
4. Strengthen current laws dealing with non-controlled substances, including inhalants and commercially available pills.
- No Answer
5. Increase funding of federally-sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
- No Answer
6. Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer
7. Increase funding for border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
- X
8. Other
- No Answer
1. Provide tax credits for companies that move job-creating industries into areas with high unemployment.
- No Answer
2. Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- No Answer
3. Reduce government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X
4. Establish empowerment zones in areas with large numbers of unemployed people.
- No Answer
5. Eliminate any federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer
6. Increase the minimum wage.
- No Answer
7. Pass legislation that encourages employers to offer their employees the options of flex-time scheduling, comp-time and unpaid leave to attend to their family responsibilities.
- X
8. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide on-site child care.
- X
9. The federal government should consider race and sex in making government contracting decisions.
- No Answer
10. The federal government should continue affirmative action programs only if such programs do not include quotas.
- No Answer
11. The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
- X
12. The federal government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public sector.
- No Answer
13. The federal government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the private sector.
- No Answer
14. The federal government should include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination laws.
- No Answer
15. Other
- No Answer
1. Support national standards and testing in reading and math.
- No Answer
2. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any publicly funded school.
- No Answer
3. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious.
- No Answer
4. Allow parents to use tax-free savings accounts to send their children to any publicly funded school.
- No Answer
5. Allow parents to use tax-free savings accounts to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious.
- No Answer
6. Support creation of more charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- No Answer
7. Give all federal education funding to states in the form of block grants and allow them to spend it as they see fit.
- X
8. Support voluntary teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- No Answer
9. Increase funding for block grants to states to help them hire additional teachers.
- No Answer
10. Other
- No Answer
11. Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to guarantee the right to religious expression and voluntary prayer in public places, including schools?
- No Answer
1. Require the state to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
- X
2. Strengthen the Clean Water Act.
- No Answer
3. Change the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to limit the number of habitats eligible to be designated as endangered.
- X
4. Increase fees charged to ranchers who graze cattle on federal lands.
- No Answer
5. Revise the 1872 mining law to increase the fees charged to mining companies using federal lands.
- No Answer
6. Encourage development of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
- No Answer
7. Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline or diesel powered engines, including cars and trucks.
- No Answer
8. Increase federal taxes on gasoline and diesel fuels to promote conservation and alternative fuel development.
- No Answer
9. Promote the selling of pollution credits between nations to encourage industries to decrease pollution levels.
- No Answer
10. Impose stricter national air quality standards.
- No Answer
11. Adhere to the United Nations treaty regarding global climate change.
- No Answer
12. Strengthen the restrictions on clear-cutting on federal lands.
- No Answer
13. Other
- X
1. Border security
- Federal
2. Civil rights enforcement
- Federal
3. Education
- Local
4. Environmental cleanup
- State
5. Job training
- State
6. Law enforcement
- State
7. Low-income housing
- State
8. Medicaid
- State
9. Medicare
- Federal
10. Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
- State
11. Welfare
- State
12. Other
- No Answer
1. The U.S. should lift the arms embargo against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
- No Answer
2. The U.S. should maintain a military presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina with a certain deadline for withdrawal.
- No Answer
3. The U.S. should maintain a military presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina without a certain deadline for withdrawal.
- No Answer
4. Other
- No Answer
5. The U.S. should resolve future disputes with Iraq through diplomatic means.
- X
6. The U.S. should take unilateral military action if Iraq does not comply with all accepted UN resolutions.
- No Answer
7. The U.S. should take military action against Iraq only as part of an international effort.
- No Answer
8. The U.S. should not continue to play a prominent leadership role in the peace process between Israel and Palestine.
- No Answer
9. The U.S. should contribute more funding and troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
- No Answer
10. The U.S. should contribute less funding and troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
- No Answer
11. The U.S. should participate in UN peacekeeping missions only when vital U.S. interests are involved.
- X
12. The U.S. should not commit military troops to UN peacekeeping missions.
- No Answer
13. The U.S. should withdraw from the UN completely.
- No Answer
14. The U.S. should pay its debt to the United Nations.
- No Answer
15. Should the U.S. have diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba?
- No
16. Should the U.S. recognize and extend full diplomatic relations to Taiwan?
- Undecided
1. Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
- No Answer
2. Increase federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer
3. Maintain federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer
4. Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer
5. Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
- No Answer
6. Favor allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms.
- X
7. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
- No Answer
8. Other
- No Answer
1. The federal government has no responsibility in providing health care.
- No Answer
2. Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
- No Answer
3. Implement a government-financed, single-payer national health care system similar to that of Canada.
- No Answer
4. Support health care strategies focused on prevention, including health education and natural medicines and remedies.
- No Answer
5. Support legislation to define and enforce the rights of insured patients, including greater access to specialists and emergency rooms, wider choice of health care providers, and appeal mechanisms when claims are denied.
- X
6. Allow small business owners, the self-employed and workers whose employers do not provide health insurance to have the same deductibility for health costs as corporations and large employers.
- X
7. Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts, which would be taxed if used for any purpose other than medical costs.
- X
8. Establish limits on the amount of damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer
9. Allow states and local communities to use federal funds for needle-exchange programs to combat the spread of HIV.
- No Answer
10. Classify nicotine as a drug and cigarettes as drug delivery devices, which should be regulated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration.
- No Answer
11. Provide citizens age 55-65 the option of purchasing Medicare health coverage.
- No Answer
12. Other
- No Answer
1. Decrease the number of immigrants allowed into the country.
- No Answer
2. Increase the eligibility of legal immigrants for certain social programs (i.e. HUD housing, food stamps).
- No Answer
3. Require the Immigration and Naturalization Service to reduce to six months the time between applying for citizenship and taking the oath of allegiance.
- No Answer
4. Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social services.
- No Answer
5. Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services (medical care, education) to illegal immigrants or their children.
- No Answer
6. Children of illegal immigrants, born in the United States, should not automatically receive U.S. citizenship.
- No Answer
7. Increase the immigration quota for computer scientists and other information technology workers.
- No Answer
8. Establish English as the official and recognized language of the United States government.
- X
9. Other
- X
The American people have consistently mentioned the decline of morals and ethics in America as a major problem facing the country. On an attached page, in fifty words or less, explain what you will do as a member of Congress to address this concern.
- No Answer
1. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage.
- No Answer
2. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which are managed by the government.
- No Answer
3. Invest Social Security's assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of U.S. Treasury securities.
- X
4. Increase the payroll tax to finance the program in its current form.
- No Answer
5. Invest a portion of the budget surplus into the Social Security trust fund.
- No Answer
6. Increase the minimum age that determines when retirees are able to receive full Social Security benefits.
- No Answer
7. Lower Social Security's annual cost-of-living increases.
- No Answer
8. Limit Social Security benefits based on recipients' other income and assets.
- No Answer
9. Require individuals to pay the Social Security tax on income above $68,400, which is currently exempt.
- No Answer
10. Other
- No Answer
1. Retiree income over $40,000
- Slightly Decrease
2. Family income less than $25,000
- Slightly Decrease
3. Family income $25-75,000
- Greatly Decrease
4. Family income $75-150,000
- Slightly Decrease
5. Family income over $150,000
- Slightly Decrease
6. Alcohol Taxes
- Maintain Status
7. Capital Gains Taxes
- Greatly Decrease
8. Charitable deductions
- Maintain Status
9. Child tax credit
- Maintain Status
10. Cigarette Taxes
- Maintain Status
11. Corporate income taxes
- Maintain Status
12. Earned Income Tax Credit
- Maintain Status
13. Estate taxes
- Greatly Decrease
14. Medical expense deductions
- Slightly Decrease
15. Mortgage deductions
- Maintain Status
16. Other
- No Answer
17. Do you support replacing the U.S. income tax structure with a flat income tax?
- No
18. Do you support eliminating the Internal Revenue Service?
- No
19. Do you support instituting a national sales tax?
- No
20. Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately?
- Yes
21. Do you support requiring a super-majority vote in both houses of Congress to raise taxes?
- Yes
22. Other
- No Answer
1. Do you support amending the Constitution to limit the number of terms which members of Congress can serve?
- No Answer
2. Senator (# of 6 yr. terms)
- No Answer
3. Representatives (# of 2 yr. terms)
- No Answer
1. Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- Yes
2. Do you support broadening NAFTA to include other countries in the western hemisphere?
- Undecided
3. Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
- Yes
4. Do you support the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
- Yes
5. Do you support imposing tariffs on products imported from nations that maintain restrictive trade barriers on American products?
- Undecided
6. Should a nation's human rights record affect its "most favored nation" trading status with the United States?
- Undecided
7. Do you support granting the President "fast-track" authority?
- Yes
1. Provide tax incentives for companies to hire and train homeless people who want to work.
- No Answer
2. Increase funding of homeless shelters and low income housing projects.
- No Answer
3. Increase funds for housing assistance for welfare recipients who need housing to get or keep a job.
- No Answer
4. Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers they can use to supplement the cost of an apartment.
- No Answer
5. Continue to give states and local governments responsibility for welfare programs through block grants.
- X
6. Eliminate federal funds for welfare programs at the federal, state or local levels.
- No Answer
7. Maintain current welfare-to-work requirements in order for states to qualify for block grants.
- X
8. Convert government-funded low-income housing projects into private housing, managed and owned by the residents.
- X
9. Require that unwed teenage mothers live with a parent or guardian (if possible) and attend school to receive benefits.
- No Answer
10. Other
- No Answer
Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.
- No Answer
Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Tracker:Latest Action: Senate - 06/19/2019 Received in the Senate.
Tracker:Latest Action: House - 06/06/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Tracker:By Greg Walden There are no words to describe the devastation and loss I saw as I toured the towns of Phoenix and Talent, Oregon. Lives were shattered as deadly fires merged to incinerate thousands of homes and apartments. Elsewhere in the state, massive fires burning nearly three acres per second laid waste to forested communities. And for the towns that were lucky enough to avoid the fires themselves, residents choked on the toxic smoke these fires produced, as we endured the worst air quality in the world all across the Northwest. To put in perspective the vastness of the smoke, during my drive from near Baker City, Oregon, to Medford, Oregon, I navigated through smoke so dense you could only see 30-50 feet ahead at times. After seeing the disaster firsthand, I flew to Sacramento to meet up with President Trump and show him photos of the devastation in Phoenix and Talent. Trump committed to me that his administration would do all it could to help us recover and rebuild. He signed off on Gov. Kate Brown's major disaster declaration request within a day. Additional resources are now on the way to the state of Oregon to help individuals affected by these fires. Wildfires are nothing new. They are a part of nature, but what Oregon and most of the Pacific Northwest is facing this summer is unprecedented.While I am glad the federal government is swiftly providing aid to millions of Americans affected by fires in the Pacific Northwest, with over a million acres burned in Oregon just this year, we must do more to prevent these fires from happening in the future. We shouldn't be forced to choke on smoke and watch our homes, our towns, and our forests burn to the ground every summer. While climate change is a factor, decades of fire suppression and broken federal forest management policies have left our forests overgrown and waiting to burn. Forests are not static -- they grow, die, and burn. In Oregon alone, the amount of timber in our national forests increases through growth by over 50% every year. The result is unnaturally dense forests that fuel increasingly catastrophic wildfires. We must do better. In 2018, I helped lead Congress to pass into law some of the most extensive forest management policy reforms our nation had seen in more than a decade. We provided additional tools and funding to the Forest Service to more quickly implement critical forest management projects. The Trump administration is taking advantage of these tools, and progress is being made toward improving the management of our federal lands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has shown that since 2016, the Forest Service has increased the area treated to prevent wildfires by 20%. Despite this progress, the Forest Service estimates at least 63 million acres of our national forests, including 7 million acres in Oregon, are at high risk of wildfire and in need of active management. We must do more and fast. That's why I've worked closely with my colleagues to write the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2019. This legislation provides thoughtful, science-based tools to forest managers and streamlines fire prevention projects so we can get our forests back in balance. When fire does strike, it would ensure we clean up the burned, dead trees where appropriate and while they still have value, and replant a new, healthy forest for future generations. It's time to listen to science and pass policies that reduce the risk and size of forest fires. Even the United Nation's climate panel said forest management should be part of our plan to address climate change by reducing emissions. We need to better manage our forests, update our infrastructure, and promote clean bio-mass energy. The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Forest Service found that active forest management could reduce the size and intensity of wildfires fires by 70%. We must do more to get our forests back into balance, reduce the risk of wildfire, help them recover quicker after fires, and help our forested communities thrive. Democrats in the House should stop blocking the bipartisan Resilient Federal Forests Act from getting a vote in the House. It's time to get these commonsense policies into law. Let's save our forests and our communities, improve public health, and reduce emissions. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the skies may have cleared for now, but if Congress doesn't act soon, we will face another summer of fire and destruction in 2021.
By Rep. Greg Walden The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of every American. More than 118,000 people have died in the U.S. due to the coronavirus and over 45 million Americans have filed for unemployment assistance. Communities have shut down entirely, and while officials are following public health guidelines to safely reopen, getting to a new normal will take time. Shutting down our economy also significantly impacted emissions levels. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates U.S. emissions could decline by more than 14 percent this year. And as the pandemic ravages health and economies worldwide, the International Energy Agency reports that global energy emissions may decline this year by almost 8 percent -- the largest reduction ever and "twice as large as the combined total of all previous reductions since the end of World War II." Still, even with the pandemic driving major economic devastation and emissions declines, global emissions barely met the United Nations' target of cutting annual emissions by 7.6 percent. And, of course, developed countries like the United States are supposed to cut an even larger share, while the world allows China to continue to increase its emissions without consequence for the next decade. Simply put, even though the arbitrary U.N. climate standards may have been temporarily met in theory, it took pushing the global economy to the brink of collapse and jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions of Americans to do so. Unprecedented pandemics require a robust response, which is why Congress has passed the largest relief package in U.S. history to provide aid to American small business owners, workers, seniors and families. For Republicans in Congress, the answer to addressing climate change and bringing our country back to prosperity is clear: American innovation. Unfortunately, some Democrats say COVID-19 is "a dress rehearsal for addressing the catastrophic impacts of climate change." We agree, but it doesn't have to be this way. This financial devastation is a preview of Democrats' Green New Deal that is supposed to give us a socialist, emission-free utopia. For Republicans in Congress, the answer to addressing climate change and bringing our country back to prosperity is clear: American innovation. The Democrats have made clear the direction their party is headed. Their presumptive nominee for president, former Vice President Joe Biden, recently said in his climate platform that "our environment and our economy are completely and totally connected," but added that, "the Green New Deal is a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face." While we agree the U.S. needs to utilize clean energy, lower emissions, update infrastructure, and work with our allies for a cleaner world, we vehemently disagree that shutting down our economy is the way to do it. It's no coincidence that the same communities that have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic are the ones that have suffered most because the economic devastation it has caused. Democrats are creating a false choice between combatting climate change and having a prosperous economy. We can have both, and America can supply the innovative technologies that will reduce global emissions. With millions of Americans already losing their jobs, we must find a better way to leave our world better than we found it. For example, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies promise to reduce emissions, create jobs and provide cleaner energy. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 created tax credits for deploying CCUS infrastructure. According to the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, the use of these credits could create 4.3 million to 6.1 million more jobs. Just recently the Internal Revenue Service released guidance to help implement these tax credits, and now American innovators have even more incentive to utilize these technologies. Nuclear innovation also plays a role in not only reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also in our national security, energy independence and economic growth. Nuclear energy continues to be a safe, emissions-free energy source with a small footprint. The Trump administration recently released a comprehensive nuclear energy strategy to help the United States regain its nuclear energy leadership around the world -- to the benefit of clean energy and national security. Unfortunately, Democrats have failed to take meaningful action to promote this vital energy source, even though it is essential for meeting emissions goals and maintaining America's security. We also must work to overcome the supply chain threats that have been underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic. The only way to maintain our edge in innovation and achieve our goals of a cleaner, healthier and safer world is by securing our energy and manufacturing. The good news is there are bipartisan bills that could be passed today to implement workable climate policies that will ensure a robust and prosperous economy. As an Eagle Scout, I learned to "leave a campsite better than I found it," and those words have stuck with me as a member of Congress. We have learned during these unprecedented times that the American people are resilient. We need policies that can bring relief and results -- and shutting down our economy long-term cannot be one of them.
By Rep. Greg Walden As public health experts and leaders in the United States and across the globe grapple with the response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we cannot let the fear of the unknown take hold. Even when the stakes are this high, and the challenge seems beyond our control, there is always one constant: how we respond to the challenge. Americans always step up. Congress is doing its part too. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is just the latest effort. Here's what the CARES Act does on key health care priorities: Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and Vaccines: Medical professionals are running out of supplies. Congress is sending $27 billion to an emergency fund so the assistant secretary for Preparedness and Response can purchase and distribute PPE and other medical countermeasures through the Strategic National Stockpile, as well as develop and purchase vaccines through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Covering Tests and Future Treatments and Vaccines: We believe in free testing; Americans should not be paying for coronavirus tests. The CARES Act expands coverage of testing. We also cover any future vaccine under Medicare Part B--no deductibles. And, there is no cost for people on Medicaid--for the uninsured there is a state option to provide vaccine coverage (through Medicaid). We also stop bad actors, so no out-of-network doctors, hospitals, etc. can price gouge for diagnostic testing. Relief for Health Care Providers: Those on the front lines need money. Congress boosted payments by 2 percent for the rest of the year for hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, and home health. Additionally, hospitals treating COVID-19 patients on Medicare will see a 20 percent payment increase for the length of this emergency. Two more big ones: We provide $100 billion for hospitals and providers taking on coronavirus expenses and we invest $250 million in hospital preparedness grants. Finally, of the $4.3 billion in additional funding appropriated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least $1.5 billion will be used to support federal, state, and local health agencies along with tribes for preparedness and response activities. Liability Protections and Personnel Reinforcements: Hospitals need more respirators. In this deal, we provide permanent liability protections for the manufacturers who are making personal respiratory protective equipment during a public health crisis. This will help increase the supply of respirators now and in the future. It's also clear we need reinforcements to maintain hospital staffing. Doctors who volunteer their skills during this crisis now have liability protections and can join the fight. Additionally, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps has been granted surge capacity through the explicit authorization of the Ready Reserve Corps. The Ready Reserve Corps exists for moments like this, to put additional personnel on the ground--on short notice--for public health emergency response missions. Expanding and Strengthening Telehealth: During this crisis, you no longer need a pre-existing relationship with a provider to utilize telehealth services; Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are now sites of care for telehealth; more grant programs that promote telehealth tech for health care delivery, education, and information services; and, temporarily waves End-Stage Renal Disease face-to-face requirements. We also made a life-saving update to an outdated substance use disorder law, which will save people from overdoses, reduce drug interactions, and ultimately improve the coordination of quality care. A patient's treatment records will now be governed by HIPPA protections, so health care providers can effectively treat patients with substance use disorders. Injecting certainty into our public health programs is so important, so we extended funding for a series of these programs through November--from special diabetes programs to Community Health Centers. Community Health Centers will also be receiving $1.32 billion in emergency funding with Hyde Amendment protections, which bars federal funds from being used on abortions. Medicaid programs were also extended--such as protections against spousal impoverishment. There is also a look to the future. We make it easier for the government to partner with the private sector on research and development (removing the cap on other transaction agreement authority) and we take a series of smart steps to further protect our medical supply chain. All told, the CARES Act is delivering on our health care needs in a big way. We know Americans always step up, and Congress is stepping up to meet this moment too.
