Rep. Walden Tours Southern Oregon Fire Devastation, Meets With Trump

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release:

Over the weekend, Representative Walden (R-Hood River) was in Southern Oregon where he delivered supplies, met with local officials and residents, and toured the devastation in Talent and Phoenix.

During a press conference following the day's events, Walden shared that he was heartbroken over the devastation he saw, thanked all the volunteers and first responders, and emphasized his commitment to working with local, state, and federal officials to help the region recover and rebuild. Walden also called on the state to show a bigger presence in southern Oregon.

Following his visit in Southern Oregon, Walden met with President Donald Trump to discuss the Oregon wildfires. Walden showed the President pictures he took of the damage from the fires and urged the President to approve Oregon's Major Disaster Declaration, which the President did the following day.

Below is a selection of local media coverage from Walden's trip to southern Oregon and his meeting with President Trump:

KDRV: LAWMAKERS VISIT SOUTHERN OREGON FIRE DEVASTATION: Today Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Representative Greg Walden toured the destruction caused by the Almeda Fire and the evacuation location at the Jackson County Expo.?The congressmen took time to meet with local officials that are responding to the fire and the following investigations as well as the organizers at the Expo to get an idea of what kind of support Southern Oregon needs..."It is up to the Governor to ask for this next declaration; we anticipate that happening Tuesday. That actually requires presidential authority and approval; we anticipate that to happen," said Representative Greg Walden. Both Senators and Representative Walden stressed the gaps in housing and state presence in Southern Oregon...Read more here (https://www.kdrv.com/content/news/Lawmakers-visit-Southern-Oregon-fire-devastation-areas-572398531.html).

NYT: Dozens Missing Amid Wildfires as States Look to Weather for Relief:....Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats of Oregon, and Representative Greg Walden, a Republican whose district includes the site of the Almeda Fire, visited an evacuee relief site in Central Point on Saturday morning. The congressmen were scheduled to tour the cities of Phoenix and Talent, which were devastated by the blaze.... Mr. Walden said he had sent the White House a video of the damage in the area that the group toured on Saturday. He said he was hoping to discuss recovery efforts with Mr. Trump at an event on Wednesday in Washington...Read more here (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/12/us/wildfires-live-updates.html).

KOBI: Congressman Walden met with President Trump to discuss resources for Oregon: Congressman Greg Walden met with President Donald Trump when he made an appearance in Sacramento today. The two discussed resources in southern Oregon, as fires burn across the west. Representative Walden says he learned during the meeting that Governor Brown is planning to ask for a national declaration of emergency. He says he's also in contact with the President's Chief of Staff and says once the emergency declaration is filed, the White House will move it along as quickly as possible. Walden says he showed videos and pictures of Phoenix and Talent to President Trump....Read more here (https://kobi5.com/news/local-news/congressman-walden-met-with-president-trump-to-discuss-resources-for-oregon-136803/).

KPTV: Trump ready to help as wildfires tear through Oregon, Rep. Greg Walden says: While touring the fire damage in California on Monday, President Donald Trump met with Oregon's only Republican representative about the wildfires in our state. Oregon Rep. Greg Walden on Monday afternoon said Trump is ready and willing to help the state. Walden said while meeting with Trump, he showed the president pictures he recently took of the Phoenix and Talent communities, which were destroyed by the flames. Walden said the president was shocked and wants to do everything he can to help...Read more here (https://www.kptv.com/news/trump-ready-to-help-as-wildfires-tear-through-oregon-rep-greg-walden-says/article_f82d26fc-f6e2-11ea-b3b3-9fa37e7b677d.html).