Gregory Paul Walden (born January 10, 1957) is an American politician, the U.S. Representative for Oregon's 2nd congressional district, first elected to that office in 1998. He is a member of the Republican Party, and as of 2017 the only Republican member of the congressional delegation from Oregon. The 2nd district covers more than two-thirds of the state (generally, east of the Cascades). He is the son of Paul E. Walden, three-term Oregon state representative.
Early life, education and career
Walden was born in The Dalles, Oregon, the son of Elizabeth (née McEwen) and Paul Ernest Walden. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Oregon in 1981. Before being elected to Congress, Walden owned and ran radio stations.
Political career
Walden served as Press Secretary and Chief of Staff to Congressman Denny Smith from 1981 to 1987. He was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1988 and served in the House until 1995, when he was appointed to the Oregon State Senate to fill a vacancy that opened up when Wes Cooley was elected to the U. S. House. Walden rose to the position of assistant majority leader in the Senate and was considering a bid for Oregon Governor in 1994. However, upon discovering that the son he and his wife were expecting had a heart defect, Walden decided to not run for Governor and to not seek re-election to the state Senate. Their son died soon after birth.
After Cooley was caught in several lies about his military service, Walden announced he was running for the 2nd District seat as an independent. However, he served as Oregon state chairman of Bob Dole's presidential campaign, and he touted his "strong Republican credentials"â€"implying that he would serve as a Republican if elected. Walden's candidacy led to fears that the Democrats could take advantage of a split in the Republican vote and take a seat they hadn't held since 1981. This ended, however, when Cooley's predecessor, Bob Smith, was called out of retirement.
Smith didn't run for reelection in 1998. Walden easily won the Republican primary and breezed to election in November. He has been reelected nine times. Though his district contains some liberal-leaning communities such as Ashland, most of the district leans heavily Republican, and Walden has always been reelected easily. In 2002, he defeated Democrat Peter Buckley, who later became a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. In 2006, Walden defeated Democratic candidate Carol Voisin, and in 2008 he won a sixth term with 70% of the vote over Democrat Noah Lemas and Pacific Green Tristin Mock. Following the defeat of Senator Gordon Smith in the 2008 elections, Walden became the only Republican to represent Oregon in the United States Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
Party leadership
Walden was chosen by Speaker John Boehner to be chairman of the House Majority Transition Committee. He served as chairman of the House Republican Leadership through most of 2010.
Following the 2012 Elections, Walden became chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee. In July 2014, he announced he would seek a second term as chairman of the committee, arguing he would help provide continuity in a changing leadership team after the defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Energy and Power
From 2010 to 2011, Walden gave up his seat on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, at Republican leadership request so that Parker Griffith, who had recently switched parties, could take his spot on that committee.
Walden founded the Small Brewers Caucus (see Alcohol in Oregon) and the Digital Television Caucus; as of 2007, he was a member of 39 congressional caucuses.
Walden is also a member of the centrist Republican Main Street Partnership and the Congressional Cement Caucus.
Legislation sponsored
The following is an incomplete list of legislation that Walden introduced into the House of Representatives.
- Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act (H.R. 2640; 113th Congress) â€" a land-use and water bill related to the Crooked River in Oregon and the Bowman Dam. H.R. 2640 would modify features of the Crooked River Project located in central Oregon, near the city of Prineville, and prioritize how water from the project would be allocated for different uses.
- Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2013 (H.R. 3675; 113th Congress) â€" a bill that would make a number of changes to procedures that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) follows in its rulemaking processes. The FCC would have to act in a more transparent way as a result of this bill, forced to accept public input about regulations. Walden indicated that the bill was written in response, among other things, to a proposed FCC study on the decisions made by newspaper editorial boards. Walden argued that "Americans deserve greater... transparency and accountability from their government," particularly because "an item as controversial as this study made it all the way through the FCC without so much as a commission vote." The study was deemed "dangerous" because it the free speech and freedom of the press rights of the newspapers.
- Hermiston Reversionary Interest Release Act (H.R. 3366; 113th Congress) â€" a bill that would release the interest of the United States in some land currently being used for the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Oregon. This would enable the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center to relocate without the land it is currently on being returned to the federal government.
- STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4572; 113th Congress) â€" a bill related to the regulation of satellite broadcasting in the United States.
Personal life
Walden and his wife, Mylene, live in Hood River with their son Anthony. They are members of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America and participate in local civic groups such as the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce.
Walden is a licensed amateur (ham) radio operator, W7EQI.
On October 20, 2009, it was reported that Walden was the first Member of Congress to contract the H1N1-A (Swine Flu) Virus.
Business interests
On January 31, 2007, Walden sold Columbia Gorge Broadcasting, which runs five stations in the eastern Columbia River Gorge, to Bicoastal Columbia River LLC in order to avoid any conflict of interest that might arise with his congressional duties.
Electoral history
References
External links
- Congressman Greg Walden official U.S. House website
- Greg Walden for Congress
- Greg Walden at DMOZ
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Greg Walden at The Oregonian
