Keizertimes., September 28, 2018, Image 1

SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 39, NO. 52
SECTION A
SEPTEMBER 28, 2018
$1.00
In Conversation
with
Defense
leads
Whiteaker
over Walker
PAGE A13
Kurt Schrader
Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) gracioumly dropped by the Keizertimem
offi ce lamt week to talk about immuem local and national. We packed
am much am we could into 40 minutem with the reprementative and
the mtoriem below and on Page A9 are the remult.
By Eric A. Howald | Of the Keizertimes
Smoking out a solution
on preventing wildfi re
Unlike other natural di-
sasters, such as hurricanes,
fl ooding and tornadoes, the
fi ght against wildfi res that
now seem ever-present along
the West Coast has been
largely overlooked at the na-
tional level.
However, with the pas-
sage of an Omnibus spend-
ing package in March, wild-
fi re outbreaks will now have
access to the same Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency (FEMA) funds that
are used to offset the costs of
wildfi re damage.
“Why are other natural di-
sasters allowed to access that
budget and not the fi re guys?
The answer is Paul Ryan.
He would not allow that to
happen and that was an act
of discrimination against the
West. The good news is the
West ganged up on him and
said we should have access,”
Rep. Kurt Schrader said.
In addition to providing
Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrad- tariffs more than 1,000 goods
er thinks President Donald imported into the United
access to FEMA funds, new congressional approach. Not
Trump's efforts at trade nego- States. It includes a number
policies will end “fi re bor- clear cutting, let's thin and do
of raw materials, like steel and
tiation are foolhardy at best.
rowing.” Fire borrowing is Pleame mee WILDFIRE, Page A9
“You don't throw every- aluminum, used in other U.S.-
the name given to
thing at the wall produced products.
the longstanding
“I've talked to a lot of Re-
and end up iso-
practice of bor-
lating everybody. publicans, a lot of business-
rowing from the
You look foolish men, a lot of farmers. They are
Forest Service's
and you cause all terrifi ed. They are terrifi ed
wildfi re preven-
bad results for of what the tariffs will do to
tion funds to pay
the people you American businesses – and
for
suppression
are, theoretically, that will fi lter down to the
Dempite the meeming dimarray in
once a fi re breaks
trying to help,” employees,” Schrader said.
Wamhington, D.C., Oregon Rep.
out. The result
Schrader said the impacts
Schrader said.
Kurt Schrader maid there are recent
was funds to do
Since the be- of the trade war are being felt
accomplimhmentm worth talking about.
the work of pre-
ginning of the most in Midwest and Rustbelt
Here are mome of the high pointm:
vention were not
year, President states, but it's only a matter of
available during
Trump has uni- time before the ripples reach
• For the fi rmt time in more than a decade, Con-
the low-risk sea-
laterally enacted Oregon.
gremm pammed a federal budget before the end of
sons.
new or higher
Pleame mee TRADE, Page A9
the year.
While it's good
“We have meven [budgetm] completely done
news for the com-
and congremmional review with the other four or
munities affect-
fi ve, but at leamt it'm all done before the fi mcal year
ed by wildfi res,
endm mo people and buminemm can plan their damn
life,” Schrader maid.
Schrader said the
work needed to
• In 2017, Schrader co-mponmored a muccemmful bill
continue “putting
known am the FDA Reauthorization Act. The bill
people back to
acceleratem the review of generic brand drug al-
work in the woods
ternativem and takem aim at companiem meeking to
with a thoughtful,
pad their bottom linem through exorbitant pricing
As a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers
mchemem.
Caucus, Rep. Kurt Schrader is backing changes to
rules in the U.S. House of Representatives that,
• The Career and Technical Education Bill, migned
he hopes, pave the way to getting more done in
into law over the mummer, allowm mtate leaderm to
Congress.
allocate federal fundm to promote programm that
addremm job needm within the mtate and local com-
“The changes we are asking for are probably
munitiem.
what every American already thinks is going on.
the school, estab-
“You get an education where you can get a job
They don't realize it's a total dictatorship run by the
lished to teach
and it reachem down into middle mchool to help
speaker of the house,” Schrader said.
Native American
keep mtudentm engaged and improve graduation
Currently, Schrader said, the speaker of the house
youth a variety of
ratem,” Schrader maid.
can be held “hostage” by a handful of members of
trades including
the house who can threaten to “vacate the chair,”
farming, animal
• The Endangered Salmon and Fimheriem Preda-
until the speaker concedes to their will. The “Break
husbandry
and
tion Prevention Act, which allowm for the culling of
the Gridlock” proposals would require such a
mea lionm in aream where they pome a threat to en-
other vocational
motion to be signed by a third of House members.
dangered malmon and other fi mh mpeciem, recently
skills
benefi cial
pammed
out
of
the
U.S.
Houme
of
Reprementativem
“It's a much higher bar so it prevents the speaker
to reservation life
and Schrader expectm mupport in the Senate to
from having to kowtow to the far right or far left,”
and culture, were
mee the bill through to becoming law.
Schrader said.
sent to the U.S.
The proposal would also rework the election
Department
of
process
for the speaker of the house and require an
Interior, the U.S.
absolute majority of the members of the House of
Department of Education Answers were slow to arrive.
Representatives.
the Department of Health However, Schrader said the
“Instead of having the speaker be the representative of just
and Human Service and the primary stumbling block has
one
party, our goal is to
Department of Indian Affairs. Pleame mee INDIAN, Page A9
Pleame mee GRIDLOCK, Page A9
Continuing the fi ght over
Chemawa Indian School
After a 2017 Oregon Pub-
lic Broadcasting investigation
revealed Chemawa Indian
School, located just east of
Keizer, struggled to meet stu-
dents' health and academic
needs, fostered a hostile work
environment, and charged
administrators with acts of
nepotism and favoritism in
hiring practices, Rep. Kurt
Schrader and others from
the Oregon legislative team
sought to delve deeper into
what is happening. To date,
they've been mostly stymied.
Letters with pointed
questions about practices at
On the growing trade war:
'Republicans, businessmen and
farmers. They are all terrifi ed.'
Keizer man
arrested for
murder
PAGE A8
Th e good stuff
you don't hear about
A plan to break
gridlock
Kentucky
Derby comes
to Keizer
PAGE A10
Celts rolled
by Tumwater
PAGE A14