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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 2017)
Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Thursday, February 9, 2017 Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor MARISSA WILLIAMS Regional Advertising Director MARCY ROSENBERG Circulation Manager JANNA HEIMGARTNER Business Office Manager MIKE JENSEN Production Manager OUR VIEW How to reach your congressmen Members of Congress are hearing from their constituents in record numbers as controversial cabinet members and executive orders blast through Washington and out into Oregon and the world at large. Some voters want their representatives to resist President Donald Trump at every turn, while others want the president to be given an opportunity to enact his vision. Either way, federal representatives should hear from their constituents. And Eastern Oregon is lucky in that each of its federal representatives make themselves available to the public and welcome comment on a range of issues. And those comments are coming in droves. Sen. Ron Wyden said his recent Oregon town halls drew his largest crowds, and noted recently that “in just a few weeks I received more than 14,000 emails from Oregonians expressing their concerns about Betsy DeVos ... that is the quantity of mail I would normally receive over four months on all subjects.” He tweeted Jan. 26 that his office phones were “jammed” because of a high volume of callers. It can be hard for a constituent to break through that jam, and have your voice resonate amid 13,999 other messages. Yet it can be done. Hank Stern, communications director for Wyden, said email — which has increased “1,000 percent” over year prior — is the easiest way for the office to convey constituent information to the senator. Martina McLennan, communications director for Sen. Jeff Merkley, has also seen an uptick in constituent contact. “Since the beginning of this year, our office has seen an unprecedented outpouring of Oregonians contacting Senator Merkley to express their views about what is happening in D.C.,” she said. “Typically, our office receives fewer than 100 calls per day, so it sends a huge message when we see thousands upon thousands of Oregonians reaching out to our office to express their views about the cabinet nominations and policy positions that are being considered by the new administration.” McLennan offered some tips about how to contribute to the conversation. She said the office does track emails and physical mail, the opinions in which are tallied and shared with the senator. McLennan said if you do telephone the office, callers should give their location then note the issue and their opinion — the more concise the better — and you’ll be added to the tally. If you are visiting the office in person, she recommends making an appointment and giving notice so staff can have an appropriate person at the office to speak with an individual or group. The calls and letters headed toward Republican representatives are just as numerous. Andrew Malcolm, communications director for Rep. Greg Walden, said the representative’s office has responded CONTACT INFORMATION U.S. Senators Ron Wyden Washington office: 221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 202-224-5244 Email: www.wyden.senate.gov/con- tact La Grande office: 541-962-7691 Jeff Merkley Washington office: 313 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 202-224-3753 Email: www.merkley.senate.gov/ contact Pendleton office: 541-278-1129 U.S. Representative Greg Walden Washington office: 185 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-6730 Email: walden.house.gov/con- tact-greg/email-me La Grande office: 541-624-2400 Governor Kate Brown 160 State Capitol 900 Court Street Salem, OR 97301-4047 503-378-4582 Email: www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/ share-your-opinion.aspx Senator Bill Hansell, District 29 900 Court St. NE, S-423 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1729 Email: Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us Representatives Greg Barreto, District 58 900 Court St. NE, H-38 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1458 Email: Rep.GregBarreto@state.or.us Greg Smith, District 57 900 Court St. NE, H-482 Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1457 Email: Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us to more than 1,400 messages in the last month while receiving many more. Last year, Malcolm said the office responded to 26,000 messages. Constituents can visit walden. house.gov, like Walden’s Facebook account and follow his Twitter. Malcolm said those are good ways to pass along information to Walden and get information directly from him as well. Modern electronic communication, along with old fashioned letters and telephone calls, is efficient and useful. But some of the most honest and fruitful interaction is done face to face. And while a trip to the nation’s capital is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many Oregonians, all three of our congressmen travel home often. On Friday, Rep. Walden will be in Weston at 11:30 a.m. and Boardman at 2:15 p.m. for town halls. They offer the best opportunities for local people to have a conversation with a congressman. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of publisher Kathryn Brown, managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, and opinion page editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. OTHER VIEWS Judge Robart’s national security expertise J udge James Robart, of the U.S. president’s executive order. District Court for the Western Now, it turns out Robart might District of Washington State, not know as much as he let on. believes there is no basis for President Last summer, the Senate Judiciary Trump’s executive order temporarily Subcommittee on Immigration suspending non-American entry from and the National Interest analyzed seven terrorism-plagued countries. public sources of information, In court last week, Robart seeking to learn more about people questioned Justice Department convicted of terror-related offenses. Byron lawyer Michelle Bennett about the The Justice Department provided York administration’s decision to confine the the subcommittee with a list of 580 Comment moratorium to Somalia, Libya, Yemen, people who were convicted — not just Syria, Sudan, Iraq, and Iran. arrested, but tried and convicted — of “Have there been terrorist attacks in the terror-related offenses between Sept. 11, 2001 United States by refugees or other immigrants and Dec. 31, 2014. from the seven countries listed, since 9/11?” The subcommittee investigated further and Bennett said. found that at least 380 of the “Your honor, I don’t know 580 were foreign-born and the specific details of attacks that an additional 129 were of or planned attacks,” Bennett unknown origin. Of the 380, responded. “I think — I will there were representatives point out, first of all, that — at least 60 — from all of the rationale for the order the countries on the Trump was not only 9/11, it was to executive order list. And with protect the United States from 129 unknowns, there might the potential for terrorism. I be more, as well. will also note that the seven In addition, since the countries that are listed in Senate list was compiled, the executive order are the there have been others same seven countries that involved in terrorism in the were already subject to other United States from the seven restrictions in obtaining visas that Congress countries. One highly publicized example was put in place, both by naming countries, Syria the case of Abdul Artan, a Somali refugee and Iraq, and that the prior administration put who last November wounded 11 people with in place by designating them as places where a machete during an attack on the campus of terrorism is likely to occur, or — the specific Ohio State University. In fairness to Judge factors are whether the presence in a particular Robart, Artan was shot and killed by police country increases the likelihood that an alien — not arrested — so perhaps the judge didn’t is a credible threat to U.S. security or an area count him. that is a safe haven for terrorists.” In a report Monday, the Associated Press, Bennett was obviously improvising a bit relying on the research of University of North at that point and did not have the facts at her Carolina professor Charles Kurzman, reported fingertips. Robart would have none of that. that “23 percent of Muslim Americans “Well, let me walk you back, then,” Robart involved with extremist plots since Sept. said. “You’re from the Department of Justice, 11 had family backgrounds from the seven if I understand correctly?” countries.” “Yes.” The bottom line is, Robart’s confident “So you’re aware of law enforcement. assertion to Bennett was wrong. How many arrests have there been of foreign In her exchange with the judge, Bennett nationals for those seven countries since tried to argue that the Constitution and the 9/11?” law make clear that the president is the “Your honor, I don’t have that information. person charged with making national security I’m from the civil division, if that helps get me decisions like those in the Trump executive off the hook.” order. “Let me tell you,” Robart said. “The “Your honor, I think the point is that answer to that is none, as best I can tell. because this is a question of foreign affairs, So, I mean, you’re here arguing on behalf because this is an area where Congress has of someone President Trump that says: We delegated authority to the president to make have to protect the United States from these these determinations, it’s the president that individuals coming from these countries, and gets to make the determinations,” Bennett there’s no support for that.” said. “And the court doesn’t have authority to In that brief moment, Robart declared there look behind those determinations.” is “no support” for Trump’s decision. And Robart strongly disagreed, and stopped the with that, the judge from the U.S. District president’s order. After all, he knew best. Court for the Western District of Washington ■ State ordered a nationwide — actually Byron York is chief political correspondent worldwide — halt to enforcement of the for The Washington Examiner. At least 380 of the 580 people convicted of terror-related offenses since 9/11 were foreign-born. YOUR VIEWS Trump a president of action, targeted by the press EOTEC saved county millions in upgrades to old fairgrounds What makes the average taxpayer more outraged — the food stamp-carrying, paid protest marchers or the “know-it-all” media telling industrious working-class people what they should do or think? Thank goodness the majority of everyday citizens are too busy making ends meet while also doing what is best for their families and community or the whole nation could implode. By what unquestionable mandate does the East Oregonian managing editor have the authority to declare “a man unfit for the task” when talking about the President of the United States? The vetting process for political office is sometimes a farce. Along with others, Nixon was forced to resign and then there was the impeachment proceedings for Bill Clinton. We gave Obama eight years to get things right and very little was accomplished while the national debt soared and a health care mandate proved to be a burden for many. Yet the media lauded Obama’s presidency even when both he, then-Secretary of State Clinton and his whole administration lied to the public about the Bengazi disaster. Now the liberal press is determined to destroy Trump without even giving him a chance even though he has already proven that he is a man of action. The Pendleton City Council must be relieved. Pendleton’s expert on everything Rick Rohde has paused in criticizing Pendleton city government and turned his crosshairs on the county commissioners, the city of Hermiston and EOTEC. His tortured arguments are hard to follow, but I deduce he dislikes the commissioners doing anything monetarily to assist EOTEC. Mr. Rohde’s ignorance about EOTEC is profound. A major reason EOTEC is being built is to provide a home to the Umatilla County Fair. If left at the old fairgrounds, the county would have had to expend $8 million of county money to bring a woefully inadequate site up to code. He also overlooks $9.8 million in state grants contributed to build EOTEC and $2 million raised from private donors. Over the last eight years, I have attended almost every meeting related to EOTEC. To my knowledge, Mr. Rohde has never been to one of them. Merlyn Robinson Heppner George Anderson Hermiston LETTERS POLICY The East Oregonian welcomes original let- ters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.