A2 The BulleTin • Tuesday, decemBer 21, 2021
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Wyden: Path still open to
social, climate proposals
BY PETER WONG
Oregon capital Bureau
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden says there is still a path
toward social supports and climate change proj-
ects, despite comments by another senator that
appear to doom the prospects of the Build Back
Better agenda laid out by President Joe Biden.
The Oregon Democrat leads the Senate Fi-
nance Committee, which he said has proposed a
menu of revenue options that will fully fund pri-
orities in Biden’s agenda.
Wyden did not point any fingers at West Vir-
ginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, whose vote
would be needed to pass any budget resolution
in the evenly split Senate, given Republican op-
position to Biden’s agenda. Manchin said on
Sunday he could not support the plan.
“Failure is not an option here,” Wyden said in
a statement issued after Manchin’s comments.
“A package that addresses critical priorities
over the long-term, like providing financial se-
curity for families, lowering the costs of health
care and prescription drugs for seniors, and cre-
ating clean energy jobs by combating the climate
crisis would go a long way toward addressing
our challenges. The Finance Committee has put
forward a revenue menu with more than enough
options to permanently pay for these priorities.”
Child tax credit
Wyden focused on three priorities on the
agenda.
He spoke in the Senate last week, when the fi-
nal of six monthly payments went out under the
expanded child tax credit that Biden proposed
and Congress approved earlier this year as part
of the American Rescue Plan Act, Biden’s pan-
demic recovery plan.
The credit was increased from $2,000 per
child to $3,000 for children between ages 6 and
17, and $3,600 for children under age 6. Half the
money went to parents in the form of payments
from the Internal Revenue Service — the final of
six payments was Dec. 15 — and the other half
will go to parents when 2021 tax returns are filed
in the spring, even if they owe no taxes.
But the expanded credit was good only for
2021. The House version of Build Back Better
proposed to extend it another year. Manchin op-
poses the extension, although there are income
limits for qualifying families.
“Families … have come to depend on these pay-
ments to cover the essentials like rent, groceries,
heat and clothing for their children. Food insecu-
rity among families dropped by about 25 percent
since these payments began. Child poverty has
been cut nearly in half,” Wyden said. “This pro-
gram is Social Security for our children, and Dem-
ocrats must keep it going over the long term.”
Clean energy incentives
The Finance Committee also has authority
over tax incentives and financing of the largest
federal health insurance programs.
COVID-19 data for Monday, Dec. 20
Deschutes County cases: 24,694 (161 new cases)
Deschutes County deaths: 207 (zero new deaths)
Crook County cases: 3,542 (3 new cases)
Crook County deaths: 60 (zero new deaths)
Jefferson County cases: 4,343 (15 new cases)
Jefferson County deaths: 69 (zero new deaths)
Oregon cases: 407,153 (1,941 new cases)
Oregon deaths: 5,534 (3 new deaths)
COVID-19 patients hospitalized at St. Charles Bend: 21 (5 in icu)
*Monday’s report included new cases and deaths since Friday.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Redmond Police seek driver who hit pedestrian
aP file photo
“A package that addresses critical priorities over the
long-term, like providing financial security for fam-
ilies, lowering the costs of health care and prescrip-
tion drugs for seniors, and creating clean energy
jobs by combating the climate crisis would go a long
way toward addressing our challenges,” U.S. Sen.
Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement.
Wyden spoke to objections by Manchin,
whose state produces coal, about the incentives
in Build Back Better to reduce greenhouse gas
pollutants. Wyden said time is running out to
avert the worst effects of climate change.
“The linchpin of the clean energy package is
permanent, technology-neutral incentives tied
to carbon emissions reductions. Fossil fuels that
get cleaner are eligible for incentives, just like so-
lar or wind,” Wyden said. “This package is sup-
ported by utility companies and environmental
advocates alike, and it’s the only path forward
that can secure 50 votes and achieve significant
emissions reductions in the power sector.
“Sen. Manchin has long said he would only
support technology-neutral incentives,” he
added. “That’s exactly what this package is struc-
tured around.”
Health care
Wyden also said it’s time to enable the federal
government to negotiate prices with drugmakers
under Medicare and to continue expanded tax
credits that enable people to obtain insurance
coverage under the 2010 Affordable Care Act.
“Drug companies have been mugging Amer-
icans at the pharmacy window for too long, and
there may not be another opportunity any time
soon for Democrats to put a stop to it,” Wyden
said. “Fifty million seniors in Medicare have a
lot of bargaining power, and it’s long past due to
put it to use.”
The enhanced tax credits included in the
American Rescue Plan Act were the first signifi-
cant changes in the Affordable Care Act since its
passage in 2010 under President Barack Obama.
“It’s vital that we extend those subsidies to
make coverage affordable,” Wyden said. “At a
time when many American families are con-
cerned about basic costs of living going up,
Democrats cannot allow their health care costs
to increase unnecessarily.”
e
pwong@pamplinmedia.com
Redmond Police are asking for help finding the driver who
struck and killed Redmond resident Cleland Weber, 54.
Weber was hit while he crossing SW Highland Avenue at
SW 15th Street around 9:52 p.m. July 2. He died Oct. 15 from
complications of injuries sustained in the crash.
Police say Weber was struck by a vehicle traveling west on
Highland Avenue.
“The Redmond Police Department is asking the community
for any information they may have regarding this incident,”
reads a statement sent Monday afternoon by the department.
The department asks anyone who witnessed the incident or
has information to contact the nonemergency dispatch line at
541-693-6911.
— Bulletin staff report
Kristof makes his bid
for governor official
associated Press
Former New York Times
columnist Nicholas Kristof
said Monday he has officially
filed to run for Oregon gov-
ernor in the Democratic pri-
mary.
Kristof, who an-
nounced his candi-
dacy in October and
raised more than $1
million in less than
a month, said the
state needs a politi-
Kristof
cal newbie to solve
problems like home-
lessness and rural despair.
Kristof joins a crowded
field of Democrats in the
2022 gubernatorial election,
including Oregon House
Speaker Tina Kotek and state
Treasurer Tobias Read. Dem-
ocrats have held the gover-
nor’s office since 1987.
Republicans seeking their
party’s nomination include
state Rep. Christine Drazan,
R-Canby, former Republi-
can nominee Bud Pierce and
Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam.
Former Democratic state
Sen. Betsy Johnson is run-
ning as an independent.
Kristof has faced
questions of whether
he’s eligible to run for
governor. According
to the law, a candi-
date must have been
a resident of the state
for at least three years
before an election.
Kristof voted in New
York state in November 2020.
A legal opinion by lawyers
working for Kristof said Kris-
tof has always considered Or-
egon his home, even though
his job required him to live
around the world.
Kristof and his wife, Sheryl
WuDunn — who also was a
New York Times reporter —
bought a 150-acre property
in Yamhill in 1993.
HERMISTON
Bank robbery suspect was released from prison due to COVID
BY PHIL WRIGHT
east Oregonian
HERMISTON — About
three weeks before his arrest
Friday in a Hermiston bank
robbery, Clifford Uptegrove,
was let out of federal prison
under a compassionate release
because of COVID-19.
Uptegrove, 58, of Yakima,
Washington, remains in the
Umatilla County Jail in Pendle-
ton on suspicion of first-degree
robbery, first-degree theft and
felony fleeing.
The robbery occurred just
before 3 p.m. at Umpqua Bank,
according to Hermiston Police
Chief Jason Edmiston.
Moments after the robbery,
a Umatilla County sheriff’s
deputy spotted the suspect in
a vehicle, he said. That led to a
vehicle chase, but the suspect
eventually pulled over.
Records show Uptegrove has
a history of robbing banks.
In 2005, he was sentenced to
federal prison for more than 20
years after he pleaded guilty to
armed bank robbery and using
a firearm during a crime of vi-
olence, according to a news re-
lease issued that year by the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the West-
ern District of Washington.
According to the news re-
lease, police caught Uptegrove
in March 2004 after a robbery
at the Riverview Community
Bank in Hazell Dell, Washing-
ton, and during questioning he
admitted to nine robberies of
credit unions from 2001-04, in-
cluding hitting the Kennewick
Community Federal Credit
Union twice and robbing the
Oregon Central Credit Union
in Portland three times.
Federal court records show
Uptegrove was serving time
at the Federal Correctional
Institution in Otisville, New
York, and had a release date of
March 17, 2022. But last year,
Uptegrove sought a compas-
sionate release.
Uptegrove suffers from
asthma, according to court doc-
uments, and was at an increased
risk of developing COVID-19.
According to the release or-
der, the court found Uptegrove
took “commendable strides
to grow and change while in
prison, completing a number
of self-help and educational
programs in anticipation of his
eventual release and maintain-
ing a clean disciplinary record
for the last nine-plus years.”
The court also ordered him
to live with his sister in Yakima,
where he could “rehabilitate in a
smaller community with family
nearby, while offering his sis-
ter, who is struggling with lym-
phoma, the help she needs.”
U.S. Senior District Judge
Marsha J. Pechman signed the
release order Nov. 17, 2020,
freeing Uptegrove from prison
14 days after and immediately
placing him under supervised
release.
As far as the Hermiston
robbery goes, Edmiston said,
police were planning on ob-
taining a search warrant for
the vehicle Uptegrove drove
to look for evidence from the
bank robbery.
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Reverse Mortgages
Life in reverse…financial longevity and peace of mind.
Debbie Tallman
Reverse Mortgage Advisor
NMLS-248704
(541) 390-0934
debbie.tallman@financeofamerica.com
©2020 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide | Equal Housing Opportunity | NMLS ID
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This is not a commitment to lend. Prices, guidelines and minimum requirements are subject to change without notice. Some products may not be available in all states.
Subject to review of credit and/or collateral; not all applicants will qualify for financing. It is important to make an informed decision whenselecting and using a loan product; make sure to compare
loan types when making a financing decision. This document is provided by Finance of America Mortgage. Any materials were notprovided by HUD or FHA. It has not been approved by FHA or any
Government Agency.When the loan is due and payable, some or all of the equity in the property that is the subject of the reversemortgage no longer belongs to borrowers, who may need to sell the
home or otherwise repay the loan with interest from other proceeds. The lender may charge an origination fee, mortgageinsurance premium, closing costs and servicing fees (added to the balance
of the loan). The balance of the loan grows over time and the lender charges interest on the balance. Borrowers areresponsible for paying property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, maintenance,
and related taxes (which may be substantial). We do not establish an escrow account for disbursements of thesepayments. A set-aside account can be set up to pay taxes and insurance and may be
required in some cases. Borrowers must occupy home as their primary residence and pay for ongoingmaintenance; otherwise the loan becomes due and payable. The loan also becomes due and
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