SEPTEMBER 3, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
struck a deal with Republicans to give
them an extra seat on the committee in
exchange for a commitment that they
would stop delay tactics in the Oregon
Legislature.
The deal gives Republicans more
power to flip swing districts — such as
Schrader’s — to red.
“I think the (Oregon) legislature is
guarding itself pretty closely about its
job, not my job, apparently,” Schrader
said. “I'd like to think they occasionally
take into account what I'm thinking and
what work I've done, but it does not
appear to be that way so far.”
No matter what happens with redis-
tricting, Schrader said he plans to run
again.
“Everyone I'm sure wants to get a
better D district or a better R district. I
don’t” said Schrader. “I like represent-
ing a diverse district. I enjoy that in a
perverse way I guess. I feel it makes
me a better legislator and better for the
district.”
COVID surges in Oregon
Oregon’s daily COVID cases and
hospitalizations are nearly double their
previous peak in December 2020.
When asked what he’s doing in D.C.
to address the surging COVID num-
bers, Schrader said he’s continuing
to stress the importance of getting
vaccinated.
“I think it's disrespectful to your fel-
low American citizens, frankly, to not
get a vaccination and put your friends,
family, coworkers at risk,” Schrader said.
Schrader didn’t have much sympa-
thy for those that claim it’s their right
not to get vaccinated, either.
“Here’s my little saying: freedom or
liberty without responsibility — that's
anarchy. That's just every man or
woman for themselves. To hell with my
neighbor. I don't care if you get sick,”
Schrader said. “That's not liberty, that's
taking advantage of people. That's
anarchy. You're just like the Antifa peo-
ple or the Proud Boys if you’re like that.”
Schrader said the longer people stay
unvaccinated, the longer the virus will
stick around and continue to mutate.
Schrader was a veterinarian before
becoming a representative and has seen
how these viruses can grow stronger.
“If we have a continued reservoir of
unvaccinated people, this bug will get
stronger and stronger and it will affect
more and more people. It will put our
children at risk, we are starting to see
that,” said Schrader. “That to me isn’t a
freedom issue, that’s you being selfish
and you being very un-American at the
end of the day.”