From U.S.
Congressman
Greg Walden,
Oregon,
1/4/11
OREGON
CONNECTION
Happy New
Year! I hope
you were
able to
spend a
little time
with loved
ones over
the
holidays.
We’re
finally just
one day away
from the
swearing in
of the 112th
Congress. As
I’ve told
you in
recent
newsletters,
the morning
after
Election Day
I organized
a team of 22
lawmakers to
re-write the
rules that
govern how
the House of
Representatives
operates and
scour the
operations
on Capitol
Hill for
inefficiencies.
The
effort was
unprecedented
both in
terms of its
size and
inclusiveness,
with newly
elected
members and
Democrats
giving their
input. We
received
suggestions
from
thousands of
Americans
who
submitted
their ideas
through the
transition
team’s
website.
We
approached
the
challenge of
reforming a
centuries-old
institution
with a
simple
premise: for
too long,
both parties
have run
Congress the
wrong way.
The backroom
deals, the
rushed
multi-thousand
page bills,
and the
explosion in
spending
borrowed
money
happened too
frequently
under the
leadership
of both
parties.
Reforms for
Congress
In
December, we
unveiled our
new rules
for
Congress.
They include
the
following
reforms:
-
Require
all
bills be
posted
online
in a
searchable
format
for at
least
three
days
before
receiving
a vote
on the
House
floor.
No
longer
will
bills be
dropped
in the
middle
of the
night
and
voted on
the next
day.
-
Require
that all
bills
include
a
citation
of
constitutional
authority
so that
Congress
respects
the
limits
imposed
on it by
our
founding
document.
- To
begin to
control
the
explosion
in
spending,
we’re
clamping
down on
the
budgetary
sleight-of-hands
that
hide
spending
beyond
the
first
ten-year
window
of a
bill
(like
the
health
care
bill
passed
into law
last
year).
Any
legislation
that is
projected
to
increase
the
deficit
by more
than $5
billion
in any
single
10-year
window
out to
50 years
will be
subject
to a
point of
order.
- A
new
“Cut-Go”
rule
requiring
any
suspension
bill
that
increases
authorizations
or
creates
new
programs
make
equal or
greater
cuts
elsewhere.
- A
new
legislative
calendar
to
ensure
that
members
will be
back
home
listening
to their
constituents
for at
least
one week
each
month.
-
Ending
the
practice
of
passing
"comprehensive"
or
"omnibus"
bills
that
package
unrelated
legislation
together
in an
effort
to avoid
public
scrutiny.
-
Require
all
committees
to
webcast
their
hearings
and
markups
and make
them
available
online.
They
will
have to
post
votes,
adopted
amendments,
and
committee
rules
online
so all
Americans
can see
what
their
Congress
is
working
on.
With
these and
more reforms
in place,
Americans
will be able
to watch the
new majority
fight to
permanently
end the
threat of
job-killing
tax hikes
and end the
wasteful
Washington
binge.
For a
full summary
of the new
changes to
the rules
governing
how the
House
operates,
click here.
Here’s
what the
Wall Street
Journal
editorial
board had to
say about
the new
rules (you
can read
their full
editorial
here):
“House
Republicans
are pledging
to cut
spending,
and one
early sign
they're
serious is
the rules
package they
are bringing
to the House
floor
tomorrow.
More than
the last
time it held
power, the
GOP is
changing the
rules to
make it
harder to
tax and
spend.”
The five
percent cut
– just a
start
Last
night, we
introduced -
and posted
online - the
text of a
resolution
to reduce
the
operating
budgets of
House
committees,
leadership
offices, and
individual
member
offices. A
key
recommendation
of the House
transition
team, these
five percent
budget cuts
will save
taxpayers an
estimated
$35 million
in the first
year alone.
The House
is expected
to take up
the measure
on Thursday.
Further cost
savings are
expected to
be announced
throughout
the 112th
Congress.
In our
Pledge to
America,
Republicans
promised to
cut
spending,
and with
this measure
we are
leading by
example.
While only a
first step,
these cuts
provide real
savings for
the American
people and
demonstrate
our
commitment
to ending
the culture
of spending
here in
Washington.
This $35
million
serves as
just the
first
installment
of savings
produced by
the new
majority,
and our work
to provide
oversight
and ferret
out waste
here in the
House will
continue
throughout
the 112th
Congress.”
New role as
chairman of
the
communications
and
technology
subcommittee
As I wrap
up my
responsibilities
as the
chairman of
the
transition
team, I’m
tackling a
new role as
the chairman
of the
communications
and
technology
panel on the
Energy and
Commerce
Committee.
The
subcommittee’s
jurisdiction
includes
oversight of
the Federal
Communications
Commission
and
telecommunications
policy
spanning the
Internet,
broadcast,
radio, wire,
and
satellite.
Communications
and
technology
related
industries
support
nearly
10,000 jobs
in Oregon’s
Second
District,
and more
than 50,000
statewide.
As we've
seen from
the
establishment
of Google in
The Dalles,
the new
Facebook
project in
Prineville,
the first
cell tower
in Fossil,
and a long
list of
other
projects in
the state,
communications
and
technology
play a
critical
role in the
economy and
quality of
life in
rural
Oregon.
These are
industries
that play a
major role
in the
health of
the state’s
economy and,
with the
correct
policies in
place, hold
promise for
private
sector
growth and
new jobs for
Oregonians.
The
challenge of
delivering
high-speed
Internet,
broadband,
and
technological
capabilities
to
communities
and schools
all across
rural
America and
Oregon will
be handled
in this
subcommittee.
Billions
of dollars
have been
allocated to
expand
broadband in
unserved and
underserved
areas across
the country.
With that
much money
going out so
quickly,
taxpayers
need to know
how it’s
being spent
and what
they’re
getting for
it. We will
conduct
oversight on
those
expenditures
and will
also review
the existing
regulatory
policies and
new
regulations
under
consideration
by various
agencies.
Energy and
communications
policy
expert Ray
Baum joining
my staff
I was
delighted to
formally
announce
last week
that Ray
Baum, a
longtime
Oregon
public
servant,
will provide
a very
helpful hand
in my new
role as
chairman of
the
subcommittee
as my senior
policy
advisor on
communications,
technology,
and energy
issues.
Ray has a
wealth of
experience.
A native of
La Grande,
he was
elected to
the Oregon
legislature
in 1988
where he
later served
as Majority
Leader. Baum
was
appointed
chairman of
the Oregon
Public
Utility
Commission
by Gov. Ted
Kulongoski
(D), a
position
which he
will step
down from on
Jan. 16 to
assume his
new role in
Washington,
D.C.
Ray
brings a
thorough
understanding
of
communications
and energy
policies as
they affect
the
marketplace
and
consumers.
With roots
in eastern
Oregon, he
fully
appreciates
what we face
in the rural
areas of the
state and
nation when
it comes to
making sure
we're not
left off the
high-tech
highway.
Having
served
together in
the Oregon
Legislature,
I know how
much Ray
cares about
people and
public
service and
how
effective he
is at moving
good policy
forward. As
my senior
policy
advisor, Ray
will work on
communications
and energy
oversight
and
legislation
with an eye
toward
helping me
cut
government
waste,
reduce
costs, and
grow private
sector jobs.
A
simple fix
at Bowman
Dam to
create new
jobs in
Prineville
What’s
wild and
scenic about
a dam?
That’s a
question
residents of
central
Oregon have
been asking
since it was
discovered
that the
boundary
line for the
17.8-mile
long Crooked
River Wild
and Scenic
River Area
in Crook
County runs
right down
the middle
of Bowman
Dam.
In recent
years
utility
companies
have
expressed
desire to
build a
small-scale
hydropower
facility at
the base of
the dam that
could create
dozens of
construction
jobs and
create
enough
carbon free
energy to
power 4,500
homes.
The
catch, of
course, is
that you
can’t build
new
hydropower
projects in
wild and
scenic
areas.
BLM
officials
have
admitted
that the
dam’s
inclusion is
likely a
drafting
error.
There’s no
commonsense
explanation
for putting
the dam in
the
protected
area.
To fix
the problem,
Congress
needs to
pass a law.
In the next
couple of
weeks, I’ll
introduce a
bill to
redraw the
wild and
scenic
boundary
just below
the dam.
Moving
the boundary
line is a
no-cost
solution to
taxpayers
that would
lead
directly to
much-needed
new jobs and
economic
development
in Crook
County.
And the
small-scale
hydropower
project
would not
affect the
flow of
water to
fish
downstream.
Additionally,
part of the
legislation
would allow
the city of
Prineville
to utilize
5,100 acre
feet of
water needed
to meet
future
growth needs
and allow it
to attract
new
job-creating
business
opportunities
like that of
Facebook,
which
recently
came to
Prineville.
Currently,
there is
around
80,000 acre
feet of
unallocated
water in
Prineville
Reservoir.
The 5,100
acre feet
for
Prineville
represents a
small
fraction —
just two
basketballs’
worth of
water
flowing per
minute — and
will help
create jobs
and improve
business
opportunities.
The extra
allocation
for
Prineville
will not
impact the
flow of
water
downstream
for fish.
Crook
County’s
unemployment
rate of 19.2
percent is
the highest
in the
state.
Prineville
should have
the
necessary
tools to
assist in
creating
jobs and new
economic
opportunities.
This small
amount of
water will
help do just
that.
That’s
all for now.
Have a great
week.
Best
regards,
Greg Walden
U.S.
Representative
Oregon’s
Second
District
