Dear
Friend,
Ensuring
our
veterans
are
getting
the
care
they
deserve
at
the
VA
is
a
priority
of
mine
in
Congress.
To
do
this,
we
must
make
sure
that
the
VA
employees
caring
for
our
veterans
are
doing
their
jobs
with
integrity,
devotion,
and
respect.
Recently,
the
VA
Accountability
and
Whistleblower
Protection
Act
was
signed
into
law.
This
bill
streamlines
the
process
to
remove
poor
performing
VA
employees,
expands
whistleblower
protections,
and
holds
those
who
care
for
our
veterans
to
a
higher
standard.
I’ve
heard
from
veterans
throughout
Oregon
who
have
told
me
first-hand
about
the
need
to
bring
accountability
to
the
VA.
This
legislation
is
just
one
important
step
towards
reaching
that
goal
and
providing
our
veterans
with
the
care
they
deserve.
Learn
more
here:
https://veterans.house.gov/115th-congress-legislation/accountability.htm
I
hope
you’ll
continue
reading
to
learn
more
about
my
recent
meetings
in
Oregon,
legislation
we’re
working
on
in
the
House
of
Representatives,
and
Oregonians
I
welcomed
to
our
nation’s
capital.
Touring
The
Dalles
Dam
Recently,
I
toured
The
Dalles
Dam
and
saw
first-hand
the
inner
workings
of
hydropower
generation
that
is
so
important
to
our
clean
power
mix
in
the
Pacific
Northwest.
The
Energy
and
Commerce
Committee
which
I
chair
is
working
on
legislation
to
better
utilize
this
low
carbon,
renewable
energy
source.
In
Oregon,
over
40
percent
of
our
energy
is
produced
from
hydropower
at
relatively
low
costs
to
consumers
across
my
district.
We
have
a
great
opportunity
in
the
Energy
and
Commerce
Committee
to
promote
this
renewable
energy
source
to
ensure
consumers
across
the
country
receive
affordable
and
reliable
electricity
from
hydropower,
which
emits
no
greenhouse
gas
emissions.
To
read
more
about
my
recent
tour
of
The
Dalles
Dam,
please
click
here:
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2017/jun/21/walden-tours-dalles-dam/
Cultus
Lake
Campground
Click
here
or
on
the
image
above
to
learn
more
about
my
recent
meeting
at
Cultus
Lake
After
expressing
my
deep
frustration
with
the
recent
closure
of
Cultus
Lake,
I
was
pleased
to
see
the
Forest
Service
went
into
high
gear
to
find
a
better
way
forward.
This
past
weekend,
I
put
together
a
meeting
and
a
tour
of
the
campground
with
the
Forest
Service
and
campground
officials. While
no
one
disputes
the
need
to
protect
campers
from
harm,
shutting
down
the
campground
for
the
whole
season
didn’t
make
sense
from
a
planning
or
practical
view.
That
is
why
I
as
soon
as
I
learned
of
the
situation
I
wrote
to
Deschutes
National
Forest
Supervisor
John
Allen
to
express
these
concerns.
I
joined
many
Oregonians
who
publicly
expressed
their
concerns
about
the
closure.
Crooked
River
Roundup
Great
to
see
Commissioner
Jerry
Brummer
and
Steve
Forrester
at
the
Crooked
River
Roundup
Rodeo
this
weekend
Meeting
Oregonians
in
Washington,
D.C.
Linda
Sindt
of
Medford
made
her
annual
trek
to
the
nation’s
capital
to
advocate
on
behalf
of
the
Pancreatic
Cancer
Action
Network.
Linda’s
husband
died
of
this
terrible
cancer
and
she’s
a
leading
advocate
for
increased
research
to
put
an
end
to
this
disease. I
support
additional
funding
for
medical
research.
The
Oregon
Home
Builders
Association
members
briefed
me
on
the
federal
issues
affecting
housing
and
homebuilding
in
our
part
of
the
country.
With
a
strengthening
economy,
we’re
again
seeing
higher
costs
for
renters
and
homebuyers
in
many
parts
of
our
district.
It
was
a
packed
house
in
my
Washington,
D.C.
office
as
students
with
the
Oregon
Rural
Electrical
Cooperative
Association
took
time
to
meet
with
me
after
their
Capitol
tour.
They
were
in
Washington
to
learn
more
about
our
political
process
and
the
history
of
our
nation’s
capital.
Expanding
broadband
internet
access
in
rural
Oregon
Click
here
or
on
the
image
above
to
view
my
remarks
During
a
recent
hearing
of
the
Energy
and
Commerce
Committee,
I
called
for
action
to
improve
broadband
connectivity
in
rural
America.
People
in
the
most
remote
parts
of
our
country,
including
in
rural
Oregon
and
other
unserved
parts
of
America,
need
access
to
the
internet.
The
committee
examined
the
definition
of
broadband
service
in
America
and
improving
the
“mapping”
of
broadband
coverage
across
the
country.
During
the
hearing,
I
emphasized
the
importance
of
ensuring
the
definition
of
broadband
service
meets
the
needs
of
consumers
and
provides
a
productive
level
of
internet
service.
I
also
stressed
the
need
to
increase
the
accuracy
of
mapping
broadband
coverage
to
identify
unserved
areas
of
the
country
that
do
not
have
internet
access.
Learn
more
here:
https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-calls-action-improve-broadband-connectivity-rural-oregon
Bringing
career
and
technical
education
into
the
21st
Century
As
the
internet
and
emerging
technologies
continue
to
transform
our
economy,
it
is
critical
that
our
students
are
prepared
for
these
changes
when
they
enter
the
workforce.
We’re
certainly
seeing
signs
of
these
changes
in
Oregon,
where
technology
companies
are
investing
in,
and
benefiting
from,
all
that
Oregon
has
to
offer.
At
times,
however,
our
education
and
training
system
lags
behind
emerging
industries
and
markets,
and
I
hear
from
students
and
teachers
who
are
worried
about
meeting
the
demands
of
the
new
economy.
We
have
not
updated
the
Career
and
Technical
and
Education
(CTE)
Act,
for
example,
in
more
than
a
decade.
It’s
time
to
bring
our
education
and
training
programs
all
the
way
into
the
21st
Century.
That’s
why
I
was
proud
to
support
the
Strengthening
CTE
for
the
21st
Century
Act
(H.R.
2353)
as
it
passed
the
House
this
week.
This
bipartisan
bill
will
help
more
Americans
--
especially
young
Americans
--
enter
the
workforce
with
the
knowledge
and
skills
they
need
to
compete
for
good-paying,
in-demand
jobs
in
industries
critical
to
the
nation’s
economy.
To
learn
more
about
this
legislation,
please
click
here:
https://edworkforce.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401633
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
Please
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