Thursday, 9 May 2013

Blumenauer Introduces the Balancing Food, Farm, and Environment Act to Modernize Conservation Priorities

Washington, DC – Yesterday, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), along with twelve other Representatives, introduced H.R. 1890, the Balancing Food, Farm, and Environment Act (the Balancing Act), which modernizes the Farm Bill’s conservation title to reflect the needs of a changing agricultural system and the American public’s  priorities.

Download the Balancing Food, ...

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Blumenauer: "We need a national system that speaks to the transportation challenges of today"

Congressman Earl Blumenauer submitted the following statement on the House Budget Committee Hearing on Transportation and the state of the Highway Trust Fund.

I hope today’s Budget Committee hearing marks the beginning of a wider, more robust conversation on the budget, specifically transportation infrastructure.

The committee has been ...

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

Blumenauer, DeFazio Call for Assessment of Port of Morrow Coal Export Proposal

Congressmen Blumenauer and DeFazio sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers  (USACE) strongly urging completion of a full environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed coal-export facility at the Port of Morrow in Boardman.

“During the past months we have heard from a great ...

Monday, 22 April 2013

Reflecting on Earth Day

Earth Day is a time to celebrate, but it is also a time of sober reflection. There are serious threats to the planet, such as climate change. Earth Day gives us the opportunity to look at the big picture ...

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Past Time to Respond to the Climate Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), a member of the Safe Climate Caucus, spoke on the House floor regarding the reality of climate change.  The Safe Climate Caucus members have made a commitment to talk every day on the House Floor ...

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Adding Value: Q&A at KEEN

Congressman Blumenauer visited KEEN’s headquarters in Portland where he visited with employees and toured the facility. KEEN, well known for its outdoor footwear and apparel, manufactures much of its product locally and has recently moved into an expanded headquarters in Portland’s Pearl District. “What you have done converting this space ...

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

"That's My Dream!": Visiting St. Mary's Academy

Congressman Blumenauer spoke to 75 high school students at St. Mary’s Academy in downtown Portland. After discussing current initiatives in Congress, and his work on universal clean water access, environmental conservation, and reforming crop subsidies, the floor was opened to students for questions and comments.

The group touched on fluoride, foreign ...

Wednesday, 27 March 2013

Legacy: Planting with Friends of Trees

Congressman Blumenauer spoke to more than 125 Friends of Trees volunteers on a frosty March morning, helping to kickoff their final planting of the season. The crew, consisting mostly families and local activists, planted about 200 street trees in the Concordia and Vernon neighborhoods Saturday, bringing the organization’s annual total ...

Sunday, 14 April 2013

End of Life Care Planning Matters for Everyone

My long connection with end-of-life care, its costs and consequences, took on a whole new dimension for me with a recent personal experience.

Several months ago, I rushed back to Portland, Oregon from Washington, DC after early January's fiscal cliff debacle, desperately trying to get home in time to be with ...

Friday, 22 March 2013

I am Optimistic

I am optimistic.

I realize, at a time when the country is lurching from artificial crisis to artificial crisis, that this may seem unusual. From a potential government shutdown to the fiscal cliff to sequestration and the next budget battle, it is understandable that my optimism might be questioned. The good ...

Thursday, 28 February 2013

Beyond the Fiscal Cliff

Few would argue that the manufactured crises of the fiscal cliff and sequester are anything more than a breakdown of the legislative process. We are now days away from massive, untargeted spending cuts that threaten the safety of our communities, the productivity of the nation, and will fall harshly on ...

Monday, 30 July 2012

Stand Together to End the Terrible Gun Violence Epidemic

I was deeply saddened by the recent horrific shooting in Aurora, Colorado. I was also reminded that such horrific events are unfortunately all too common in our country. And while we mourn our loss as a national community, we must also be reminded that such events provide cause to stop ...