Dear
Friend,
Recent
acts
of
terrorism
from
Paris
to
San
Bernardino
once
again
demonstrate
how
real
and
how
deadly
the
threats
of
ISIS
are
to
the
free
world. People
are
understandably
concerned
about
the
safety
of
their
families
and
the
country.
And
they
are
understandably
concerned
about
the
effectiveness
of
the
President’s
policies
to
counteract
these
threats.
During
two
recent
telephone
town
hall
meetings
with
Oregonians,
I
asked
participants
to
give
me
instant
reaction
on
issues
involving
terrorism
and
the
Middle
East.
Just
17%
of
respondents
agreed
that
the
President’s
strategy
to
contain
ISIS
has
made
the
country
safer
(83%
thought
it
has
put
the
country
in
greater
danger).
And
88%
said
they
believed
that
current
security
measures
in
place
for
taking
in
refugees
from
the
Middle
East
need
to
be
stronger.
Holding
a
telephone
town
hall
meeting
with
Oregonians
on
December
14
The
House
is
taking
clear
steps
to protect
this
nation
and
our
way
of
life.
As
our
first
step,
the
House overwhelmingly
passed
a
plan,
with
my
strong
support,
to
put
a
pause
on
accepting
refugees
from
Syria
until
all
individuals
can
be
properly
vetted. Our
nation
has
a
strong
tradition
of
welcoming
people
who
are
seeking
a
better
life,
but
we
cannot
allow
terrorists
to
take
advantage
of
our
compassion.
I
also
have
serious
concerns
about
the
State
Department’s
visa
waiver
program
(VWP).
This
program
allows
nationals
from
certain
countries,
such
as
France,
Belgium,
and
Germany,
to
enter
the
United
States
as
temporary
visitors
for
business
or
pleasure
without
first
obtaining
a
visa
from
a
U.S.
consulate
in
their
home
country.
Knowing
that
several
of
the
terrorists
behind
the
attacks
in
Paris
were
European
citizens,
does
it
really
make
sense
to
maintain
these
relaxed
security
measures?
That’s
why
the
House
passed
a
bill
that
makes
sure
that
nobody
enters
this
country
without
a
complete
biometric
background
check,
and
forces
participating
countries
to
share
all
counterterrorism
intelligence
with
the
United
States
as
we
perform
the
background
checks.
In
addition,
Congress
recently
passed
a
defense
bill
that requires
the
President
to
present
Congress
with
a
clear
strategy
for
defeating
ISIS.
Now
that
the
President
has
signed
this
bill
into
law,
he
needs
to
comply
with
it
by
coming
forward
with
a
plan
to
defeat
ISIS
and
keep
American
families
safe
from
ISIS-inspired
attacks.
When
American
leaders
fail
to
provide
strong,
clear
leadership
in
the
world,
bad
actors
seize
control
and
undermine
efforts
to
provide
stability.
I
will
continue
to
do
all
I
can
to
keep
Americans
safe.
We
are
at
war
with
global
terrorism.
It’s
time
to
match
our
foreign
policy
with
reality.
Plan
to
improve
Oregon
roads,
bridges
signed
into
law
For
the
first
time
in
many
years,
Congress
has
approved
a
five-year,
fully
funded
transportation
measure,
and
President
Obama
has
signed
it
into
law.
It
made
no
sense
from
a
planning
perspective
to
have
short-term
funding
measures,
some
only
a
few
months
long,
as
has
occurred
in
the
past.
The
new
law
also
streamlines
the
planning
and
permitting
process
to
reduce
unnecessary
costs
and
delays.
For
more
information
on
the
new
transportation
law, please
click
here.
Included
in
this
new
law
is
a
provision
I
helped
write
that
will
allow
local
entities
in
the
Columbia
Gorge
access
to
grant
funds
to
help
with
projects
that
are
so
important
to
our
ability
to
maintain
and
improve
the
bridges
across
the
Columbia,
as
well
as
other
highway
improvements
in
the
Scenic
Area.
Here
I
am
with
Brian
Shortt,
President
of
the
Port
of
Hood
river
(left)
and
Jess
Groves,
President
of
the
Port
of
Cascade
Locks
(right)
after
a
meeting
where
we
discussed
transportation
needs.
Earlier
this
fall,
I
met
with
community
leaders
from
up
and
down
both
sides
of
the
Gorge
to
discuss
transportation
and
economic
issues
we
face.
Gorge
residents,
visitors,
and
our
local
economy
depend
on
efficient
and
safe
transportation
and
reliable
infrastructure
such
as
the
bridge
at
The
Dalles
and
the
Hood
River
Bridge
and
the
Bridge
of
the
Gods
in
Cascade
Locks.
These
two
latter
bridges
see
about
5.2
million
vehicles
and
$110
million
in
goods
cross
each
year
but
along
with
other
major
infrastructure
elements
in
the
area,
they
need
constant
maintenance
and
improvements.
I’m
glad
that
communities
throughout
Oregon
will
soon
have
better
access
to
safe
and
efficient
roads,
highways,
and
bridges.
Congress
okays
A+
education
bill
to
help
students,
parents,
educators
Good
news:
Congress
has
“gotten
its
homework
done,”
so
to
speak,
and
passed
the
“Every
Student
Succeeds
Act,”
a
historic,
bipartisan
agreement
to
improve
K-12
education
and
replace
No
Child
Left
Behind
(NCLB)
with
policies
that
return
flexibility
to
states
and
local
schools.
This
marks
the
first
update
of
federal
education
policy
since
the
passage
of
NCLB
in
2001.
Despite
its
best
intentions,
NCLB
expanded
the
federal
footprint
in
public
education
through
increased
testing,
annual
academic
progress,
report
cards,
and
other
mandates.
I’ve
heard
from
many
parents
and
teachers
in
Oregon
that
NCLB
hasn’t
worked
as
intended
and
needed
reform.
Since
the
law
has
been
due
for
reauthorization
since
2007,
the
Department
of
Education
has
been
using
a
waiver
system
to
unilaterally
dictate
federal
education
policies
to
state
and
school
districts.
The
Every
Student
Succeeds
Act
will
finally
put
an
end
to
the
year-to-year
roller
coaster
of
applying
for
NCLB
waivers.
The
new
law
provides
more
local
control,
certainty
and
flexibility
for
educators,
parents,
and
students
in
Oregon
and
nationwide.
The
new
law
also
repeals
the
federal
“Common
Core”
mandate,
and
eliminates
49
ineffective
and
duplicative
federal
programs.
The
Every
Student
Succeeds
Act
will
help
schools
better
prepare
our
students
for
a
successful
future
by
reducing
costly
mandates
from
Washington,
D.C.
and
ensuring
that
education
decisions
are
made
locally.
I
was
proud
to
support
this
legislation,
and
am
pleased
that
it
is
now
the
law
of
the
land.
For
more
information, please
click
here.
Permanently
banning
taxes
on
internet
access
The
Internet
is
possibly
the
most
important
technological
advancement
since
the
printing
press.
Governments’
hands-off
approach
has
enabled
the
Internet
to
rapidly
grow
into
a
powerful
engine
for
our
economy.
At
the
beginning
of
the
Internet
revolution,
Congress
passed
a
law
preventing
state
and
local
governments
from
imposing
taxes
on
Internet
access.
But
it
requires
reauthorization
every
few
years,
and
I
don’t
support
opening
the
door
to
more
Internet
taxation
that
would
cost
Oregon
families
and
small
businesses.
Last
week,
the
House
passed
a
bill
to
make
this
ban
on
Internet
access
taxes
permanent.
If
we
want
to
continue
the
growth
of
the
Internet,
I
firmly
believe
we
should
keep
the
government
out
of
the
way.
The
Internet
plays
a
very
important
role
in
spurring
innovation,
growing
jobs,
and
facilitating
the
exchange
of
ideas.
In
Oregon,
and
across
the
world,
our
increasing
interconnectivity
has
chartered
a
path
of
extraordinary
growth
and
expansion,
in
large
part
thanks
to
freedom
from
government
interference.
This
bill
would
help
ensure
the
Internet
remains
affordable
to
users
throughout
Oregon
and
the
nation
and
keep
the
Internet
tax-free.
The
Senate
is
expected
to
pass
it
in
the
coming
days,
so
I
am
hopeful
this
permanent
ban
on
Internet
access
taxes
will
soon
become
law.
Having
a
problem
with
a
federal
agency
like
the
VA
or
Social
Security
Administration?
I
can
help.
Finally,
if
you
can't
get
an
answer
from
a
federal
agency
in
a
timely
fashion,
or
if
you
feel
you
have
been
treated
unfairly,
my
office
may
be
able
to
help
resolve
a
problem
or
get
you
the
information
you
need.
My
team
and
I
will
do
everything
we
can
to
help
with
agencies
like
the
Veterans
Administration,
the
Social
Security
Administration,
or
the
Internal
Revenue
Service.
Recently,
I’ve
helped
veterans
in
Oregon
get
Purple
Hearts
that
were
long
overdue,
and
a
woman
in
southern
Oregon
who
was
hit
with
a
massive,
unexpected
tax
bill
after
the
death
of
her
husband.
We
were
able
to
work
with
the
IRS
to
clear
up
confusion
after
her
husband’s
death
and
free
up
a
refund
that
had
been
held
up
for
months.
My
district
offices
are
staffed
with
Oregonians
who
can
field
your
questions
and
concerns,
and
specialize
in
dealing
with
federal
agencies
and
cutting
through
some
of
the
red
tape.
I
have
two
veterans
on
my
staff
who
assistant
Oregonians
with
problems
at
the
VA.
Should
you
need
assistance,
please
call
my
office
toll
free
from
the
541
area
code
at
800-533-3303.
Best
regards,
Greg
Walden
U.S.
Representative
Oregon’s
Second
District
Please
feel
free
to
like
me
on
Facebook,
and
follow
me
on
Twitter
and
Instagram
if
you
have
not
already
done
so.
If
you
would
like
to
contact
me
with
a
follow-up
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or
comment,
you
can
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