Eugene weekly., May 25, 2017, Image 12

THE
FAR
SIDE
Congressman
Greg Walden
in the age of
Trump
BY C A M I L L A M O R T E N S E N
C
ongressman Greg Walden is not a typical politi-
cian. Or maybe he is.
The lone Republican in Oregon’s federal del-
egation, Walden has represented Oregon’s 2nd
congressional district, a sprawling area east of the
Cascades that starts near Idaho and ends at the California border,
since 1998.
Walden seems affable, quick with a quip. He has a tendency
toward wonky answers that aren’t really answers. He’s hard to
pin down, but real nice about it.
In April, when the congressman held a town hall to meet with
his constituents in Bend, it was his first such event in that liberal-
leaning city since 2013, that is unless you count the mock town
halls held outside his offices there by protesters.
As a longtime House member, Walden wields significant
power in Congress. He recently used some of that power to help
craft the controversial health care bill — or as some would ar-
gue, tax-cutting bill for the rich — that seeks to repeal and re-
place Obamacare, aka the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
His role in Trump’s health care bill, the American Health
Care Act of 2017, as well as his representing the district that was
the site of the Malheur occupation last year, has put Walden’s
name in the headlines. Politically, Walden, whom critics have
accused of trying to have it both ways by appeasing both his
conservative and more liberal constituents, seems to be going all
in with President Donald Trump.
It’s also led to speculation over whether the venerable Repub-
lican is vulnerable in the 2018 election, as Democrats try to win
back Congress. Challengers have already begun to enter the fray.
After a weeklong exchange with Justin Discigil, Walden’s
communications director, Eugene Weekly was informed that
Walden was not available for an interview due to “Greg’s very
busy schedule.”
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May 25, 2017 • eugeneweekly.com