Friday, 25 May 2012

Blumenauer Statement Honoring Memorial Day

“On Memorial Day, we take time to recognize the sacrifice of those men and women who gave their lives under the United States flag. In just and unjust wars alike, nothing can besmirch the bravery and loyalty of our nation’s soldiers who paid the most terrible price in the course ...

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Blumenauer Meets with Main Street Alliance, Discusses Small Business Issues

Small businesses are the backbone of communities across the country.  As a part of National Small Business Week, Congressman Blumenauer met with “Wake up and Smell the Coffee” to talk about issues that concern small business owners.   The discussion was convened by The Main Street Alliance of Oregon, an ...

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Markey, Blumenauer: Musicians “Can’t Get No Satisfaction” from Guitars Made of Illegal Wood

Mick Jagger, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Bryan Adams, Lana Del Ray join Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Jack Johnson, fun., Maroon 5 and many others in defense of Lacey Act.

WASHINGTON (May 23, 2012) – Pledging to keep the instruments they love free from illegally-harvested wood, some of the ...

Friday, 18 May 2012

Blumenauer: "Cut Wasteful Military Spending that Weakens Our Country"

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a senior member of the House Ways & Means and Budget Committees, submitted the following statement to the Congressional Record regarding  the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (NDAA):

Today, I voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal ...

Friday, 25 May 2012

A Greater Framework: Doctors Discuss Vision, Hearing, and Dental Care

This week, Congressman Blumenauer held a round table meeting with audiologists, optometrists, and dentists to discuss the importance of screening children for hearing, vision, and dental problems at a young age. Screenings are now widely available (such as hearing screenings in newborn babies), but the doctors expressed concern that majors ...

Thursday, 24 May 2012

Food Fight! Steps Toward Reforming the Farm Bill

This week, Congressman Blumenauer joined Food Fight! author Dan Imhoff in a public event that focused on the importance of the federal Farm Bill. Imhoff, a well-known environmental writer, provided a wealth of information on how current federal farm policy impacts our ecosystems, nutrition, economy, and health.  Blumenauer followed up ...

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

A Vital Role: Supporting the CAP Act

Congressman Blumenauer met with representatives of MetroEast Community Media who presented him with a thank you card for his support of the Community Access Preservation (CAP) Act.

Modifications to the law under the Cable Act resulted in many community cable access stations across the country closing down. The CAP Act would ...

Friday, 18 May 2012

Stream of Consciousness: The Congressional Art Competition

This year’s Congressional Art Competition resulted in a truly impressive selection of artwork from around Oregon’s third district.  This year, we received art from Sandy, Rex Putnam, Reynolds, and David Douglas High Schools, as well as Pacific Crest Community School.  Submissions included examples of black and white photography, watercolor, scratchboard, ...

Thursday, 16 February 2012

Consequences of the Worst Bill Ever

One consequence of the House Republican effort to eliminate mass transit from the Highway Trust Fund may well be to undermine ability to ever get the resources we need for all our surface transportation needs.

Study after study has documented the woeful inadequacy of current funding levels to meet the needs ...

Friday, 20 January 2012

The Opportunities and Challenges of 2012

We begin the new year on the same disappointing political note that we concluded 2011. The political process in the minds of virtually all independent observers and lots of people in both parties is that ...

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Farm subsidies: We can cut the fat in spending and in our food

As you stroll through the aisles of your local grocery store this holiday season, grab an apple and a two-pack of Ho Hos. Can you guess which one your tax dollars are subsidizing?

If you guessed the Ho Hos -- packed with 370 calories from saturated fat and high-fructose corn syrup ...

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Safe Drinking Water: Giving Life, Health, and Hope

As America prepares for the holiday season, it is important to pause and reflect on what we can do for others as well as ourselves. I hope that Congress will give a gift of life, health and hope by helping people around the world with something that most Americans take ...