Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2022)
OREGON A6 — THE OBSERVER SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2022 Oregon’s congressional delegation backs Russian sanctions Oregonians told to be ready for economic impacts By LES ZAITZ Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — Nearly every member of Oregon’s Congressional delegation on Thursday, Feb. 24, condemned Rus- sia’s invasion of Ukraine and backed sanctions to punish the invaders. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon and chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Wyden said in a vir- tual town hall Feb. 24 in Eugene that Russia’s action was “an unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation based on blatant lies.” He said he supported the “very toughest eco- nomic sanctions” against Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. President Joe Biden announced a second round of sanctions he said were intended to starve the Russian economy of money. “We ought to keep pushing those tough sanc- tions until Putin is practi- cally carrying around his rubles in a wheelbarrow,” Wyden said. By the afternoon of Feb. 24, only one member of the Oregon delegation had not spoken publicly about the international crisis. U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon, didn’t respond to ques- tions from the Capital Chronicle and had made no comments through statements or Bentz on his social media channels. The lone Republican in the Oregon delegation didn’t answer whether he supported former President Trump’s characterization of Putin’s actions as “very smart.” U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, who serves on the Senate Foreign Rela- tions Committee, said in a statement Feb. 23 that the “reckless military cam- paign” was “attacking the very foundations of the international order.” He backed sanctions as well. “I stand ready to exact the most punishing eco- nomic costs on Moscow and its leadership that have ever been brought to bear, in concert with our allies,” Merkley said. “We must do all we can to sup- port the Ukrainian people, particularly those who are forced to flee their homes. Innocent civil- ians should not be trapped in the crosshairs. Russia will continue to pay for its aggression.” U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, rep- resenting the 5th Congres- sional District, said in a statement that “Russia’s Putin’s unjustified attack on Ukraine is being felt deeply in Ukrainian com- munities in my district and across Oregon.” Biden warned Ameri- cans in a speech Feb. 24 that the war would drive up energy and other costs. Schrader shared that warning. “All Oregonians will experience the impact of this conflict as it intro- duces vast uncertainty into critical energy mar- kets that will cost Orego- nians at the pump, in the stores due to increased transportation costs, and in the production cycle that relies on these energy sources for materials,” he said. “Russia must be crip- pled economically, because it is the only thing that the oligarchs that keep Putin in power understand,” Schrader said. “Russia must be Sergei Grits/The Associated Press Damaged radar, a vehicle and equipment are seen at a Ukrainian military facility outside Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia launched a barrage of air and missile strikes on Ukraine early Thursday, and Ukrainian offi cials said Russian troops have rolled into the coun- try from the north, east and south. cut off from financial institutions, from energy markets, and all oligarch assets and Bonamici visas should be frozen.” U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, serving the 1st Congres- sional District, said in her statement that “Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is dangerous and requires a swift response. I sup- port imposing sanc- tions, including those announced by President Biden and our EU allies, to condemn Russia’s aggressive actions and to deter fur- ther hostili- ties. We must Blumenauer use all diplo- matic and economic tools at our disposal to protect the lives and freedom of Ukrainians.” U.S. Rep. Earl Blume- nauer, D-Oregon, repre- senting the 3rd Congres- sional District, joined the call for sanctions. “Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked, unjustifiable, and undermines the most basic norms of interna- tional law,” he said in his statement. He said that as chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, “I am working to introduce legislation ter- minating Russia’s trade preference status and fur- ther restrict their access to American markets.” He said the attack would lead to “the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War.” He said the invasion isn’t just a distant event for Oregon. “Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine — an independent, democratic and peaceful country — is not just an issue of inter- national security, but deeply personal to many of us,” he said. “Oregon is home to tens of thou- sands of immigrants from former Soviet repub- lics, most of whom come from Ukraine. Many of our friends, fami- lies and neighbors are of Ukrainian descent or have family in Ukraine. War of any magnitude will have devastating consequences for the innocent people of Ukraine. The number of Ukrainian immigrants and refugees in our state may soon grow, as individuals and families are forced to flee their homes to escape a bloody conflict they didn’t ask for.” Blumenauer said he shared the president’s dec- laration that there would be no deployment of American troops inside Ukraine. “The United States must use every tool at our dis- posal, short of armed con- fl ict, to protect Ukraine’s independence,” he said. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Eugene, representing the 4th Con- gressional District, repeated con- cerns raised DeFazio earlier in the week that the president needed to consult Congress about using mili- tary force. “This includes involving any U.S. troops, advisers, trainers, spe- cial forces or any other U.S. military personnel in Ukraine,” DeFazio said. “The American people, through their representa- tives in Congress, must have a say before we even think about putting American troops’ lives in harm’s way or getting involved in yet another foreign war.” He urged con- tinued efforts at diplo- macy to halt the Russian aggression. “Russia’s brutal dic- tator, Vladimir Putin, is a violent thug who is put- ting his delusions of gran- deur ahead of the millions of Ukrainian lives he is now uprooting and putting in danger,” DeFazio said. Clean energy is important to our business customers. It’s why they choose natural gas for commercial heating, hot water and cooking. Using natural gas is a smart decision for a better tomorrow, too. We’ve set aspirational goals to have carbon-neutral natural gas by 2045. We also plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030. Affordable, reliable natural gas—no wonder it’s an important part of Oregon’s clean energy future. Learn more at myavista.com/greener Clea